2 get life for drug-related fatal shooting

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Two Pensacola men have been sentenced to life in prison for a drug-related shooting that left one teen dead and another wounded.

An Escambia County judge sentenced Novel Austin and James Dortch, both 21, on Wednesday after a jury convicted them of first-degree and attempted first-degree murder.

Authorities say Austin shot 17-year-old Keondrick Abrams and 18-year-old Tykey Douglas in their heads in December 2011 during a setup involving a drug deal and subsequent robbery. According to the Pensacola News Journal (http://on.pnj.com/138dwEN ), prosecutors claimed Dortch was also present and conspired with Austin to carry out the crimes.

Defense attorneys argued there was no DNA evidence against Austin and Dorch and that testimony from Douglas, who survived the shooting, was unreliable.

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Information from: Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com