ANDERSON, S.C. – A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing his mother in South Carolina, more than six years after her death.
The Anderson Independent Mail reported 53-year-old John Wesley Coker on Thursday entered an Alford plea to an involuntary manslaughter charge. An Alford plea does not admit guilt, but concedes there is enough evidence for a conviction.
Investigators said 71-year-old Linda Clark was found dead in her apartment in Anderson in July 2011. Coker called 911 and told officers he returned home to find his mother dead and the home ransacked.
Prosecutors said there was not enough evidence in 2011 to charge Coker.
Anderson County Sheriff Sgt. Todd Owens said DNA testing later revealed his DNA was under his mother's fingernail. Coker was charged with murder earlier this year.
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Information from: Anderson Independent-Mail, http://www.andersonsc.com
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