LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Two men will spend their lives in prison in connection to the murder of a Pine Bluff pawn shop owner in November 2018.
U.S. District Judge James M. Moody Jr. sentenced 26-year-old Daryl Strickland and 25-year-old Rodney Henry both to life in prison on Tuesday, June 20.
Both Strickland and Henry pleaded guilty to "discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence that resulted in murder" where Brandon McHan was killed.
McHan was the owner of Wise Buck Pawn Shop in Pine Bluff.
Another employee at the pawn shop was shot in the face and severely wounded during the shooting.
Strickland and Henry then went on to rob a gas station around an hour later.
“The senseless, despicable, and evil murder of Brandon McHan and attempted murder of Jason Booth rendered an incalculable loss for the McHan and Booth families, and the communities of White Hall and Pine Bluff,” Jonathan Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, said.
The two defendants reportedly told investigators that they knocked on the front door of the pawn shop on the evening of November, 12, 2008 to ask if the store was still open. McHan told them they were closed for the night through a locked door.
McHan and the other employee then exited the front door to start their cars before returning to the store. That's when Strickland and Henry entered the "threshold of the pawn shop" and began firing their guns.
McHan and the other person returned fire and a shootout occurred before Strickland and Henry left the scene.
Once police and first responders arrived to the scene, McHan and the employee were transported to a nearby hospital. That's where McHan would later die from his injuries.
Strickland and Henry were arrested and charged for their crimes on December 4, 2018 and later indicted by a grand jury on October 2019.
Both of them pleaded guilty to the murder charges and will serve life sentences in federal prison.
“This was a tragic case that hit close to home, as ATF works closely with thousands of federal firearms licensees like Mr. McHan,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood. “Federal firearms licensees play a valuable role in making sure firearms are sold legally and kept out of the hands of prohibited individuals. We are proud of this collaborative effort and hope this sentence brings some peace to the family and the community.”