URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Just nine months following a murder incident in Champaign Township, the man accused of committing the crime accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

According to court records, Jamal Carter, a 27-year-old from Springfield, negotiated a plea deal with Champaign County prosecutors concerning the murder charges against him. Initially charged with first-degree murder, he ultimately pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder.

This case arose from the murder of Alvin Parker on the night of December 10, 2024. The 42-year-old Bloomington resident was found deceased at a house near Dobbins and Roland Drives after sheriff’s deputies responded to a shooting report.

The Champaign County Sheriff’s Office identified Carter as a suspect during their investigation of the murder. On January 28 of this year, Springfield Police discovered evidence linking Carter to the crime during a traffic stop. The Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office consequently issued an arrest warrant for Carter on February 26, leading to his arrest the next day in Springfield, where pretrial release was denied.

Carter initially faced charges of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. These charges were dropped under the terms of Carter’s guilty plea, executed 184 days after his arrest.

In a combined plea and sentencing hearing, Judge Randy Rosenbaum sentenced Carter to 18 years in prison for second-degree murder, with the 184 days he had already spent in custody deducted from his sentence. Carter was returned to the custody of the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office in anticipation of his transfer to the Illinois Department of Corrections.