TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video is from July 2020.
One of four men charged in the shooting death of a 21-year-old Tyler man during a July 2020 attempted burglary has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Following slightly over two days of trial, jurors on May 26 found Kobe Warthsaw, 19, of Tyler, guilty of murder in connection with the death of Draveon Tykeith McCullough.
According to criminal records, he was then sentenced to 40 years and he will receive 511 days of credit for time served in the Smith County Jail.
According to the arrest affidavit, Warthsaw, Robert Blake Robertson, Kevondus Demonte Brantley, Trey Barreau and the victim tried to rob a residence in the 600 block of West Vance Street on July 9, 2020.
McCullough was found dead with a single gunshot wound in his chest at the house around midnight, police said.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the resident of the Vance Street home told police he heard a knock on the door, and when he opened the door he saw men wearing masks. He said one of them sprayed him with pepper spray while another had a gun and the men “barged in” the house.
The resident said he and one of the men “tussled” for the gun. He then got the gun and shot one of the men. After the shots, the men ran outside and away from the house. He went back into the home and emptied the weapon. He told police that there were at least four people involved and the incident happened really fast, the affidavit stated.
He denied knowing the men who tried to rob him, the affidavit read. He believed the man he shot was the one who had the gun.
During an interview with police, Barreau said Warthsaw talked about “licks” (robbery) on the night of McCullough’s death.
Barreau later claimed that Warthsaw was behind the whole incident, and Barreau thought it was a bad idea, the affidavit read.
Warthsaw was also indicted on a burglary charge on Feb. 4, 2021.
Robertson, Brantley and Barreau all remain in the Smith County Jail since their arrests in 2020 on their murder charges. They have court hearings set for later this month, according to online records.