Three more suspects sentenced in Hattiesburg officers’ death

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Three more suspects connected to the murders of two Hattiesburg police officers have been sentenced. Broderick Varnado, Douglas McPhail and Anquanette Alexander all appeared before a judge Monday. Before being sentenced to 20 years behind bars, Varnado made a public apology for hiding the gun Marvin Banks allegedly used to kill Officers Benjamin Deen and Liquori Tate during a 2015 traffic stop. “I’m not a bad person I’m I’m I don’t, I’m not a bad person, I don’t cause trouble that’s not me,” he said. “Every human doesn’t understand what we do or why we do it, but the lord knows my heart and knows my intentions and what they were that night.” “Now I would like to say to the families of those fallen officers if any of them are here today I would like to say I’m sorry for any stress, depression or grief that I may have brought upon you in my actions with what I did in this situation,” he added. His co-defendant, McPhail pleaded guilty to conspiracy and hindering charges. The judge sentenced him to 5 years behind bars with two being served on house arrest. Finally, Alexander confessed to the conspiracy charges and sentenced to five years probation. According to The Hattiesburg American, there are only two defendants left to be tried in connection to the officers’ death: Cornelius Clark and Abram Wade “Pete” Franklin. Investigators claim Clark was in the backseat of the car that the officers pulled over the night they were killed. Also in the car were Joania Calloway — who was sentenced to 25 years in prison — and Banks, the alleged shooter. Banks died in his cell at the Forrest County Jail. Police said Franklin hid the alleged shooter’s brother, Curtis Banks, in his attic, hindering the the investigation. Curtis Banks is currently serving 20 years with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The man who gave the gun to Banks, Jimmy Velton Brady, is also serving a five-year sentence.