This morning a 24-year-old Chattanooga man pleaded guilty to helping his co-defendant murder another man in 2011.

Napoleon Deangelo Justice pleaded guilty in Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Rebecca Stern's courtroom to facilitation of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to eight years.

Under Tennessee Department of Corrections guidelines he must serve 30 percent of the sentence, or two years and five months before he is parole eligible.

Justice has been in jail custody since shortly after the July 27, 2011, robbery-murder that killed James Williams, Jr.

His attorney said this afternoon that Justice is parole eligible now but the TDOC must decide whether to grant parole.

Justice had been charged with first-degree murder along with Jerrico "Ri-Ri" Hawthorne in Williams death.

Hawthorne went on trial in August. A jury found him guilty of murder and he was sentenced to life in prison.

Police and prosecutors claim the pair ambushed Williams at his 2305 E. 17th St. home and show him 14 times. Williams identified Hawthorne as the shooter before he died.

For more see tomorrow's Times Free Press.