Accountant sentenced for murder of colleague

CENTREVILLE, Mich. (AP) - A southwestern Michigan certified public accountant who was convicted of second-degree murder in the slaying of a prominent 70-year-old colleague has been sentenced to prison. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports St. Joseph County Circuit Court Paul Stutesman sentenced 37-year-old Andy Brown on Friday to 37½ to 75 years in prison for the murder charge. He also got two years for using a firearm during a felony. Brown told the court that he's "a loving person with a big heart" and is innocent. David Locey was found shot to death Oct. 2 in his accounting office in Sherman Township, near Sturgis. Prosecutors said Locey had confronted Brown over embezzlement allegations. They had sought a conviction for first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence without parole. Published: Tue, Sep 02, 2014