3 Plead Guilty In Death Of Kidnapped 13-Year-Old Detroit Boy

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Three people have pleaded guilty in the death of a 13-year-old Detroit boy who prosecutors say was beaten and choked in May after he picked up about $70 that was dropped outside of a convenience store.

Gregory Walker, Lillian Roberts and Ernest Coleman entered pleas Wednesday in a Detroit courtroom. Sentencing is Nov. 9.

According to The Detroit News, Walker pleaded to charges including second-degree murder and kidnapping with a sentencing agreement of 40-60 years in prison while Roberts pleaded to second-degree murder and kidnapping with an agreement of 24-40 years.

Ernest Coleman pleaded to charges including torture and unlawful imprisonment. He could face more than 15 years in prison.

Prosecutors say Walker killed Deontae Mitchell with help from Roberts and Coleman on May 31. Deontae's body was found in a vacant lot.

Deontae's cousin told police that he disappeared a short time after he picked up some money dropped by "a drunk man" outside Nino's party store, an east side market where the pair had been riding their bikes.

Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Deontae rode away with about $70 of cash but later was found by the trio. Police the next day released chilling surveillance video showing Deontae being pursued by a man, grabbed, and forced into a car.

Deontae's body was found June 2, hidden in tall grass in a vacant lot at Harper and Baldwin in Detroit. Later that day, Walker and Roberts were arrested at Toledo hotel; and Coleman was taken into custody in Detroit.

During trial, a witness testified that he'd been shopping at Nino's that night and he saw Walker there, armed with a pistol.

"As I left out of the store, I see the gentleman here pull up in a black car, pull a gun out and say: 'I'm tied of these young (expletive) out here,'" the witness said. "And he raised the gun and he fired a shot off. A lot of kids out, and they all scattered."

He identified Walker as the shooter, but said he did not see Mitchell and could not tell if there was anyone else with Walker in the car.

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.