By Tom Blakey

Transcript Staff Writer

Jared Hughes, the 7-year-old son of murder victim Martin Hughes, approached District Attorney Greg Mashburn outside a Cleveland County courtroom Wednesday.

“He’s got a question to ask you,” said Rebecca Hughes, Jared’s mother. “Go ahead, ask him.”

Jared, wearing a coat and tie, looked up at Mashburn and asked, “How long will he be in prison?”

“The rest of his life,” Mashburn replied.

Jared nodded his head, appearing satisfied.

“Family is why I do the job I do,” Mashburn said. “I’m very pleased with the outcome of this case. I have sons 6 and 8 and Jared really touched me.”

Ten minutes earlier, Michael Lee Burton, 20, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the May 31, 2006, shooting death of Martin Hughes, 47, of Wylie, Texas.

Hughes was in Norman to supervise a swimming pool construction project and checked into the Guest Inn, 2543 W. Main St. He was shot in the neck around 5:30 the next morning as he sat in his pickup truck in the motel parking lot, preparing to go to work. The two men who stole his truck ran over him with it as they left the parking lot.

Rebecca Hughes introduced Jared to District Judge Tom Lucas before taking the stand to testify Wednesday afternoon. Sending Jared from the courtroom, Mrs. Hughes said it had been “one year, two months and 15 days ago that Michael Burton made a decision that changed our lives forever.”

“Gone are the days of a boy and his father playing catch. Gone are the days of playing with Hot Wheels and Legos. Gone are the funny stories, silly songs and baseball facts that only Marty can share with Jared. These things have all been replaced by sadness and pain. Far more than this young boy should ever have to deal with.”

Hughes’ sister, Anita Erskine, also testified.

“For the use of a truck, you chose to murder my brother,” she said.

Erskine said Hughes was a “damn good man” who would have offered the men a job if only they would’ve asked.

John Patrick Hughes, Martin’s brother, told Burton his actions “planted a seed of hate in my family — the kind that eats you up inside.”

“Congratulations, you’ve grown a garden of hate,” Hughes said.

Burton asked to address the Hughes family. He said he couldn’t “begin to understand the hurt and pain you feel.”

“All I ask is that you forgive me,” he said. “The Bible talks about an eye for an eye, but the New Testament is all about forgiveness. All I ask is for a second chance.”

If given another chance, the “courts would never see me again,” Burton said. “I’m just a young man that made bad decisions.”

Burton’s attorney, Tracy Schumacher, said much of the evidence against Burton came from statements made by his co-defendant, Alexander Hixson. She asked Lucas to consider giving Burton a life sentence and suspending part of it.

But Lucas said Burton’s criminal record dated back to 2001.

“Based on the information I’ve read and heard today, Mr. Burton is a dangerous man,” Lucas said.

Lucas sentenced Burton to life without parole on the first-degree murder charge, 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit a felony (larceny of an automobile); five years in prison for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; and 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit a felony (robbery with firearms), and ordered all the sentences to run consecutively.

Burton’s sister ran from the courtroom in tears as Lucas pronounced the sentence of life in prison without parole. Three other family members huddled as the sentences were announced. Burton showed no emotion.

Schumacher said Burton planned to file an appeal.

In April, Hixson, 19, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of accessory to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by a 20-year suspended sentence. Hixson was scheduled to testify against Burton at jury trial as part of the plea negotiations, prosecutors said.

But Burton waived jury trial and entered a “blind plea.”

Mrs. Hughes expressed gratitude to Mashburn and Moore police officer Jeremy Ballard, who spotted Burton and Hixson walking from Hughes’ idling pickup truck, as the pair was preparing to rob a convenience store in Moore.

She said today’s proceedings were difficult for Jared to take in, but said he would be able to research the case when older, and “know there was justice.”

Assistant District Attorney Rick Sitzman was the lead prosecutor against Hixson and Burton, but was not present for Wednesday’s hearing.

Tom Blakey

366-3540

tblakey@normantranscript.com