A Washington County man received the maximum sentence for shooting another man.
Circuit Court Judge Ashley Hines sentenced John Scates Jr. to 25 years in custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
In May, a jury found Scates guilty of aggravated assault with a firearm enhancement The shooting happened in October 2017 at Greenville Imports, a business that was operated by Scates.
According to testimony, Henry Bates went to the car lot to speak to Scates about a business deal between the two. After an argument, Scates shot Bates in the back after Bates turned to walk away.
District Attorney Dewayne Richardson says the DA’s office hopes Bates can feel some sense of closure, even though the mental and physical toll of being shot are likely to remain.
