Elyria man pleads guilty to murder in botched robbery

ELYRIA — The Elyria man who fatally shot Adam McNeal during a botched robbery last year pleaded guilty Tuesday to murder and other charges as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

Terence Nevins

Terence Nevins, 20, had been scheduled to go on trial for the killing Tuesday when he entered pleas to murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, felonious assault, burglary and robbery charges. Additional counts of murder and aggravated murder were dropped as part of the plea deal that will see Nevins receive at least 18 years to life in prison when sentenced.

Both Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will and defense attorney Kenneth Lieux said that Nevins had agreed to cooperate in the prosecution of his two co-defendants, Deshun Jackson and William Shepherd.

“He has cooperated from the beginning, and he will continue to cooperate,” Lieux said after the plea hearing before county Common Pleas Judge John Miraldi.

Elyria police have said that Nevins, Jackson and Shepherd drove to 2 New Hampshire Court in the Colonial Oaks mobile home park on the night of April 7, 2015, with a plan to rob the 23-year-old McNeal of cash and marijuana.

Shepherd, whom police have identified as the getaway driver, remained with their borrowed PT Cruiser while Jackson and Nevins knocked on the door.

McNeal’s girlfriend, Kirstin Bell, told police that when McNeal went to answer the door, he found a masked gunman, later identified as Nevins, holding a gun to the head of Jackson, who detectives later determined was pretending to be a hostage.

Bell, who was with the couple’s two children inside the mobile home, told officers that McNeal told Nevins to take off his mask, and when Nevins didn’t, McNeal drew a knife he had sheathed at his side.

Police have said Bell fled the room when she heard the first gunshot and later heard four more shots ring out before she came out of hiding and found McNeal bleeding on the floor. Although Bell called 911, McNeal died before emergency medical personnel could arrive.

Police said Jackson, who also told police he fled when the gun went off, and Nevins got back into the car after the shooting, and Shepherd took Nevins to Mercy Allen Hospital in Oberlin to be treated for his stab wounds. Nevins was later taken by helicopter to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland for additional treatment.

After police arrested Shepherd and Jackson, Shepherd led detectives to the .22-caliber revolver that police believe Nevins was carrying at the time of the shooting.

Both Shepherd and Jackson still face charges in the case.

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