TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The man who planned a burglary that led to the murder of a Topeka woman and the wounding of her partner has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Bayate Rayshawn Covington was sentenced Thursday in the July 2011 death of Natalie Gibson and the wounding of Lori Allison at their home. Covington pleaded no contest in July to reckless second-degree murder, aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery.
Chief Judge Nancy Parrish said Covington played a major role in planning and coordinating the nine defendants who planned to burglarize the victims’ home. The women were shot when they arrived home while the crime was in progress.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Covington has testified against his co-defendants during a preliminary hearing and in three jury trials so far.
