DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — The second person charged in connection with a Decatur man’s murder last year was sentenced for a less severe offense committed in the case.

John Inman, 41, was originally charged with multiple counts of murder for the shooting death of 65-year-old Darrell Coon on April 14, 2024. Inman, however, blamed 21-year-old Tramarion Howell for killing Coon in what he described as a drug deal that turned into an attempted robbery.

Inman subsequently reached a plea deal with prosecutors last month that saw him plead guilty to one count of obstruction of justice, with all other counts against him dismissed. The two parties agreed to a sentence of two years in prison, which Judge Thomas Griffith imposed upon Inman on Tuesday.

A sworn statement from the Decatur Police Department detailed that Inman was identified as one of two people seen on surveillance footage walking toward Coon’s home on Jasper Street before the sound of gunfire; the two were then seen “frantically fleeing” the area after.

Inman was arrested three weeks later after a car chase through Decatur. During an interview with police, he admitted to being the person caught on camera near Coon’s home and described what happened.

Officers said Inman told them he went to Coon’s home to sell him meth and was joined by Howell, whom Inman had met just two months prior. When they arrived at Coon’s home, Inman sold him meth while Howell asked to use the bathroom.

When Howell returned, he was armed with a gun and said something to the effect of “give me the money,” as he had seen Coon’s wallet full of cash. Howell proceeded to fire multiple shots at Coon, hitting him the chest and head.

In his own criminal case, Howell pleaded guilty to one count of murder and was sentenced last week to 45 years in prison.

In Inman’s case, the state agreed to drop the counts of murder in exchange for his guilty plea to obstruction of justice. The state also agreed to dismiss the case that was opened due to the car chase Inman was accused of before his arrest.

While Inman was sentenced to two years in prison, in practice, he will spend less than a year behind bars. He’s been in custody for 13 months, and he was given credit for that time by Judge Griffith. The judge also found Inman is eligible for day-to-day credit, further reducing the amount of time he will spend in prison.