ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 15, 1997 TAG: 9702170031
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BEDFORD
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
A Pittsylvania County man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday for murdering a friend while high on crack cocaine and dumping the man's body in a remote area of Bedford County.
Bedford Circuit Judge William Sweeney exceeded state guidelines in sentencing Randall E. Faris, 38, of Gretna for the February 1996 shooting of 36-year-old Bobby Anthony Carter, also of Gretna.
The guidelines call for seven to 14 years. Faris received 17 years on one charge of second-degree murder and three years on a related firearm charge.
"It is clear that drugs were involved, and if drugs could have been removed from this equation, perhaps then it would not have added up to murder," Sweeney said. But, he added, "Crack cocaine did not kill Bobby Carter. Randall Faris killed Bobby Carter, and he dumped his body outside a highway on a winter night last year. These are the facts."
Faris, who earlier pleaded guilty, testified Friday that he and Carter had been driving through Pittsylvania County buying, selling and smoking crack cocaine for about two days before the murder. Faris said neither man had eaten or slept.
Faris said he sold Carter a handgun for drug money, but that Carter complained because the gun was faulty. The two argued in Faris' car and struggled for the gun. Faris said he shot Carter twice - once accidentally, and once in self-defense.
Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Krantz argued that the shooting was an act of malice. He noted from Faris' testimony that instead of throwing the gun out of the car or dropping it, Faris held the gun to Carter's head and fired after Carter already was wounded. Faris claimed that Carter was trying to wrest the gun away from him.
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines KEYWORDS: FATALITYby CNB