A 53-year-old Lincoln man who killed a stranger he'd come across by chance in a heavily traveled parking lot near North 27th and Vine streets nearly two years ago was sentenced to 60 to 80 years in prison on Monday.
Prosecutors had argued it was first-degree murder, which would've come with an automatic life sentence.
At sentencing, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Jim Rocke described Adams' criminal history as long and violent.
"Obviously this is a very violent crime resulting in the death of an individual," Rocke said. "The state's just asking that you protect society from Mr. Adams by incarcerating him for the rest of his life."
According to trial testimony, on Oct. 18, 2021, Clark and Adams by chance ended up in the parking lot of an apartment building, used as a cut-through to Vine Street.
Clark got out and hit Adams. They fell to the ground and scuffled. Witnesses broke it up, but Clark sucker-punched Adams when they got up, leaving Adams with a head fracture and blood dripping into one eye.
Adams got up and said he was going to get a pole, referring to the handle of a floor jack he had in his van.
Clark got into his van and started inching away but stopped and got out again. This time, when Clark swung at him, Adams swung, too.
Clark dropped, struck over the head by the jack handle.
Then, Adams admits, he "stomped him" thinking he had something in his hand. It was his first mention of an alleged weapon, though none was found.
Clark's cousin, Malaki Williams, who had been with him, said it was a "full force" stomp on Clark's head. Then, Clark started bleeding out of his ears.
Clark was taken to a Lincoln hospital, where he died.
Adams said that for the last year and a half he's been thinking about what he would want to know. He said what he kept coming back to was the truth. He said if she ever feels he could give her any type of closure, "she knows where I am."
In the end, Lancaster County District Judge Ryan Post said he understands Adams views some of the facts differently.
"And I understand that you've said repeatedly that you did not intend to kill the victim. But I've also considered that you crushed his head in with a jack handle, then stomped him. That's what occurred here,' he said.
With that, he sentenced Adams to 60 to 80 years, a term that means he won't be eligible for parole until he's 83, assuming he loses no good time.