A Shreveport man who pleaded guilty in Caddo District Court to manslaughter in September was sentenced Monday, January 6, 2020, to 40 years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed by law.

After a sentencing hearing, District Judge Craig Marcotte sentenced Darell Lamont Bell, 25, to the 40-year hard-labor prison term. The sentencing range for manslaughter is 10 to 40 years. Bell originally had been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the February 8, 2017, slaying of Shreveport teen Kendarrius Henderson. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter September 9, 2019, as jurors were being selected for his trial. The plea arrangement was made after consultation with the victim’s family.

Henderson, 18, was was sitting with two acquaintances in a vehicle outside a residence in the 200 block of North Emerald Loop February 8, 2017, when a Ford F-150 pickup drove by and the driver of the truck fired several shots at the parked car. Henderson was struck in the head and perished. An occupant inside Henderson’s vehicle identified Bell as the shooter. It is believed the motive for the shooting was a dispute between Bell and Henderson over a stolen firearm.

Bell was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys William Edwards and Joshua Williams. He was defended by Kurt Goins.