Fresno County murderer sentenced to 40 years to life in prison

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A convicted murderer was backmost successful the Fresno County Courthouse to larn his condemnation connected Tuesday.

Michael Brandon Kent volition present walk 40 years to beingness successful situation for the shooting decease of his girlfriend's uncle, James Buford.

The transgression happened past July successful Fresno County's Winton Park, northeast of Sanger.

Prosecutors accidental Kent and his woman went to the parkland to "fool around" astatine night. They saw a light, and arsenic Kent's woman went to the car, she said determination was a gunshot.

It killed the 69-year-old Buford.

"I cognize without a uncertainty who murdered my dad," James Buford Jr. said Tuesday. "Without a question, my full household gets to cognize that now. We don't person to slumber with that."

Buford Sr. worked for Fresno County and was astatine the parkland providing information astatine the aforesaid clip his niece and Kent were there. At trial, the authoritative said Kent changeable Buford conscionable inches away.

"My dada was murdered astatine astir 10 PM," Buford Jr. said.

Kent's defence lawyer argued determination was nary mode Kent could person pulled the trigger. The lawyer said it was Buford Sr.'s niece who killed him.

In conscionable 2 hours, the assemblage rejected that argument. They recovered Kent blameworthy of second-degree murder.

At sentencing connected Tuesday, Buford Jr. said helium remembers his dada arsenic a hard idiosyncratic who helped others often.

"My dada was besides a contributor to society," Buford Jr. said. "He worked hard his full beingness ... Whatever it be, helium was conscionable ever determination helping and being productive."

With Kent formally sentenced, helium volition soon permission the Fresno County Jail and spell to the Wasco State Prison.