TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video is from July 2020.
A Tyler man pleaded guilty to a lesser charge Thursday morning in connection with a July 2020 attempted burglary that led to the death of a 21-year-old Tyler man.
Robert Robertson, 23, entered his plea in the 241st District Court to burglary of a habitation after he was initially charged with murder. He was then sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Following his plea to a lesser charge, the murder charge was dismissed. He will receive credit for time served in the Smith County Jail.
Robertson and three other men were arrested in late 2020 in connection with the death of Draveon Tykeith McCullough.
In June, Kevondus Brantley, 23, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to judicial records. In May, Kobe Warthsaw, 19, of Tyler, was found guilty of murder following a jury trial and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
According to the arrest affidavit, Warthsaw, Robertson, 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 after a knock on the door, he opened it to see 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, 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” (robberies) 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.
Barreau, who was previously charged with murder like Robertson, has also been indicted on a burglary charge. Currently jailed, he has a plea hearing set for Aug. 22, online records show.