Guilty plea entered in shooting death of sleeping Lebanon girl

Andy Humbles | The Tennessean

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The first suspect charged in connection with the death of a 13-year-old Wilson County girl who was shot in her home while sleeping pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder.

Joseph Hendry, 23, is one of three suspects charged in the death of Insatiable C'Asia Patton, also known as C'Asia Watkins, according to police.

Hendry was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The plea agreement requires him to testify when necessary in the case moving forward with two other defendants, Marvin Andre Bryant and Timothy Wade, who have been charged with first-degree murder.

A gang dispute may have led to the shooting late at night on Jan. 5, 2015, according to previous testimony in the case. Police don’t believe Patton was intentionally shot when she was hit at her home on Sycamore Street.

Patton, a Winfree Bryant Middle School student, died days later on Jan. 8. Police found 21 rounds of ammunition from three weapons, according to testimony on Monday.

Hendry addressed the family and court with an apology that became tearful toward the end. His statement included:

"I know that there are no words and that there is nothing that I could say or that there is nothing I can possibly do to try and ease the pain that I brought to your family mainly because I’ll never be able to go back to the night of Jan. 5, 2015, and take back my actions from that day. ... I fully accept responsibility for my actions and intend to tell the truth (about) everything that happened that day.”

“He is remorseful,” said attorney Jeff Cherry, who represented Hendry with Peter Strianse.

Patton’s grandmother Minnie McReynolds spoke for the family with an emotional impact statement at the hearing after Hendry's address that called for an end to gang violence.

“C’Asia was a selfless teenager; she didn’t deserve to die in the tragic way you decided to end her life," McReynolds said. " ... You not only murdered her, but you damaged, inflicted and changed the lives of her innocent siblings as well as her mother, myself and all who loved her. ..."

After the hearing McReynolds said she was satisfied with the plea deal because of Hendry’s agreement to testify as the case moves forward against Bryant and Wade.

Police arrested Hendry in January 2015, days after the shooting, on charges that included first-degree murder. Hendry will be credited with time served in the plea deal, attorneys said.

Bryant and Wade were arrested in February 2017.

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @AndyHumbles.