ENTERPRISE, Ala.(WDNews) — A Coffee County man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty Monday to reckless murder in the 2021 shooting death of 15-year-old MyQuell Smith.
Fredrick Wilder Jr., whose trial was set to begin the same day, entered his plea before Circuit Judge Shannon Clark in the Enterprise Division. The sentence was part of an agreement with the state, made with the input and approval of Smith’s parents.
Prosecutors said Smith and friends were attempting to prank another high school student who lived next door to Wilder. Wilder’s brother-in-law, DeAndre Flowers, mistook their actions for a crime, confronted them, and then chased them at high speeds through the city. Wilder intercepted the chase and fired multiple shots at the teens’ vehicle near Adams and Mack Street, striking Smith twice. Smith died from his injuries.
“There is no excuse or valid reason for anyone to shoot a gun at a group of teenagers who were just having fun trying to prank their friend,” District Attorney James Tarbox said. He praised the work of Assistant District Attorneys Mary Katherine Head and Ternisha Jones, as well as the cooperation of Smith’s family.
Flowers previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his role in the incident.
The case was investigated by the Enterprise Police Department, Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and Wiregrass Angel House.
