Carthage man sentenced to life in prison without parole for shooting, killing his neighbor

A Carthage man who murdered his next door neighbor was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole Monday in Jasper County Circuit Court.

A Jasper County jury took only 24 minutes in January to find Ricky L. Marchbanks, 62, guilty of first degree murder and armed criminal action following a three-day trial.

The neighbor, Jeremy D. Neeper, 38, was standing in his front yard at 1032 Valley and shouting at Marchbanks, who was driving by in his pickup, according to the probable cause statement when Marchbanks stopped the vehicle, grabbed his gun, got out of the truck, shot Neeper, then climbed back in and drove away, saying, "I got him. I shot him in the belly."