A judge has sentenced a Fort Worth man to 40 years in prison for the 1973 cold-case killing of his friend when the two were teenagers.
Melvin Knox, 59, was sentenced Monday after testifying earlier in the day that he didn't realize the shotgun he was playing with was loaded when he pointed it at 14-year-old Donald Rodgers and fired.
Authorities say Knox, 15 at the time, retrieved a knife from a drawer at his home and then stabbed his friend.
They said he staged a scene to make it appear Rodgers was killed by an intruder.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports Knox was initially arrested in the case but later released.
He confessed in 2015 when interviewed by a cold-case investigator.
He pleaded guilty to murder last month.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
