    It’s life in prison without parole for a Rapid City man in a Christmas Eve 2020 shooting in Rapid City.Â
The sentence handed down Monday to 23-year old Elias Richard came as no surprise – life is mandatory for 2nd-degree murder.
       A jury convicted Richard in January of the shooting death of Vernall Marshall, who was wounded and lying in the street when found by police.
Two other defendants had earlier pled guilty to aiding and abetting aggravated assault in the case.
At sentencing, the defense said Richard accepts the jury’s verdict but denies any involvement in the shooting.
Prosecutors said two young people lost a father figure the night of the murder and Circuit Judge Craig Pfeifle called the shooting heinous and without any justification.