Sonny Shields Sentenced to Life in Prison Without Parole for Kidnapping and Murder
| U.S. Attorney’s Office December 06, 2011 |
MEMPHIS, TN—Sonny Adam Shields, age 27, of Memphis, Tennessee was sentenced to life in prison today, announced United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton, III, and Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Memphis Division, Aaron T. Ford. Shields pled guilty to violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(a), kidnapping.
Shields entered a plea of guilty to the kidnapping and murder of Jerrell K. Lott. On May 19, 2004, Mr. Lott was kidnapped as he left a local convenience store in Memphis, Tennessee. Mr. Lott was forced into the trunk of his car and driven to an automated teller machine, where money was taken from his account.
Mr. Lott was eventually driven to a field in Arkansas and shot multiple times, and his body set on fire.
Also charged in this case is Shannon Shields, who has been sentenced to life without parole following a jury trial. Two other defendants charged in this case, Lendzo Parker and James Stafford, have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
“The senseless and heinous murder of Jerrell K. Lott has left an irreplaceable void throughout our entire community,” said Edward L. Stanton, III, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
“I want to commend the tireless efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement who assisted with the investigation and prosecution of this case. The life sentence without the possibility of parole imposed upon Sonny Shields today will hopefully bring justice and a meaningful measure of closure to the Lott family.”
“The kidnapping and murder in this case demonstrate a shocking indifference to human life,” said Aaron T. Ford, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “I am grateful for the tireless and cooperative investigative work of the Safe Streets Task Force, the men and women of the FBI, and our partners in law enforcement, which ultimately led to this outcome.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis Police Department, and Safe Streets Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Tony R. Arvin and Loraine Craig on behalf of the government.