Michigan man sentenced in killing of college football player

(Reuters) - A judge sentenced a man on Tuesday to up to 30 years in prison for the October 2013 shooting death of an Eastern Michigan University football player who had dreams of playing in the National Football League. Kristopher Pratt had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and testified against another man in the murder of wide receiver Demarius Reed, 20, in an agreement with prosecutors that called for a sentence of 18 years to 30 years in prison. Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Donald Shelton imposed the agreed upon sentence for the killing of Reed, a Chicago native, at an off-campus apartment building in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Despite Pratt's testimony, a jury in July acquitted Ed Thomas, 21, of Reed's murder. Pratt testified that he shot Reed twice while Thomas stole the player's smart phone and wallet. The defense argued that Pratt was lying to obtain a lighter sentence. Prosecutors had argued during Thomas' trial that Thomas had handed Pratt the gun and was an active participant in the robbery, making him just as guilty of murder as Pratt. (Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Bernard Orr)