The trial concerning the tragic killing of a well-regarded former college basketball player has reached its conclusion, with the defendant receiving his sentence for the “exceedingly cruel” crime.

Dayrel McFarland is sentenced to life imprisonment plus an additional three years for first-degree murder and for openly carrying a deadly weapon with the intent to harm, as confirmed by the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City announced on Friday.

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On Oct. 2, 2023, Baltimore police officers were told by the family of Jamal Barney that they had received anonymous tips that a man known as “Little D” had hit Barney in the head with a cinder block and hidden his body in a deserted home. Barney’s family had already filed a missing person report; he had been missing for nine days.

Police arrived at 520 North Payson Street and, immediately upon entering, “detected a strong foul odor,” the state’s attorney’s office said. When they walked upstairs, they found a body inside of a mattress covered with clothing and blankets.

There was such an “advanced stage of decomposition” that the victim could not be identified, prosecutors said, nor could they find obvious signs of trauma.

There was, however, a large hole in one of the bedroom walls, leading to two adjoining rooms where officers found blood and spatter on the walls. They also observed two cinder blocks and a concrete paver along with part of a carpet that seemed to be stained with blood.

A medical examiner later identified the victim as Barney through his tattoos and ruled the cause of death as homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head. Details from a witness add to the harrowing nature of the crime.

A witness told police that McFarland had confessed to killing Barney, who was his roommate, with a cinder block, and the witness added that the suspect took them to the crime scene.

Barney “was still letting air out for two days before he finally stopped,” the witness recalled McFarland as saying, Baltimore-based ABC affiliate WMAR reported. The suspect allegedly said he hid Barney in the mattress and tried to get rid of evidence by using acid.

McFarland’s DNA was reportedly found on the cinder block. He initially denied any involvement with the murder, though he said he had a roommate. McFarland, who was about ten years younger than Barney, was convicted of murdering him in March.

The defendant has maintained his innocence, according to Baltimore Witness.