FRANKFORT, Ind. (April 18, 2023) – Gary Cecil Ferrell II pled guilty Tuesday to murdering Promise Mays and Pamela Sledd in the parking lot of NHK Seating of America outside of Frankfort on August 18, 2021.
According to the Clinton County Prosecutor’s Office, Ferrell II took a plea deal that removed the death penalty and the remaining charges and will now face consecutive sentences. The deal was reached after the defendant raised the defense of intellectual disability to the death penalty.
After the preliminary hearing on August 20, 2021, Clinton County Prosecutor Anthony Sommer described why the death penalty had been sought.
“Indiana law provides for the death penalty in the crime of murder under 18 statutorily identified circumstances,” stated Sommer. “The facts, in this case, provide that the crime was committed during the commission of the crime of confinement, that is one of the statutorily identified circumstances in which the death penalty is available.”
Sommer added Ferrell II’s use of a handgun qualified as confinement under the law in this case.
“Confinement has to do with either removing or restraining someone’s movement against their will,” continued Sommer. “And in this particular case, that was done with a deadly weapon – specifically a handgun.”
An all-day sentencing hearing is tentatively set to begin at 9:30am on August 30th in front of Clinton County Judge Hunter according to court documents.
