Man denied sentence modification for 1988 murder of high school classmate

Sep. 24—Cassandra Thompson openly cried in the courtroom Friday as her friends wrapped themselves around her and joined in her tears. The tears were for relief, not sadness.

On Friday afternoon, Frederick County Circuit Court Judge Julie Stevenson Solt denied a motion for a sentence modification for John Paul Sexton, 50, who was convicted of killing Marc Uher, his Linganore High School classmate, in 1988.

"We did it," Thompson, 50, a friend of Uher, said in celebration, struggling through tears.

Sexton was sentenced to life plus 40 years in December 1989 for the murder of Uher, 16, of Monrovia, the year before. Sexton shot Uher in the head in Uher's car after stealing $2,000 from him, the News-Post previously reported.

Thompson and four others wore white "We are MarcStrong" T-shirts for the hearing to support Uher. They were friends his while growing up.

In the front row, Chris Allen, 51, of Ijamsville, one Uher supporter, crossed his arms and stared straight ahead. Michelle Kinna, 50, of New Market, dabbed her eyes with a kerchief. Thompson closed her eyes as she took slow, deep breaths.

Throughout the hearing, the group exchanged comforting touches, held hands for support and gave looks of concern to one another to make sure they were all OK.

Sexton's attorney, Frederick County Assistant Public Defender Leslie Guthrie, argued for Sexton's modification under the Juvenile Restoration Act, which passed in 2021. Guthrie did not argue for a specific alternative sentence.

The act allowed for many things, including allowing those incarcerated at least 20 years for a crime they committed as a minor to file a motion with the court to reduce their sentence.

Sexton was 16 when he killed Uher.

Sexton was hanging out at the Urbana Exxon, where Uher worked, on the evening of the murder, the News-Post previously reported. When Uher left work to bring the day's money and receipts to his boss, Sexton was in the passenger seat.

Sexton later shot Uher in the head and hid his body along railroad tracks in Urbana, the News-Post reported. Uher's car was later found at New Market Middle School.

Guthrie said that reducing Sexton's sentence under the act wasn't for forgiveness, but rather empowers the court to look at the adult Sexton has become.

He was a model inmate in prison, got his GED and finished college, she said. He joined community organizations and trained service dogs for veterans and first responders.

"I do believe Mr. Sexton deserves our mercy," she said.

But Chief Assistant State's Attorney Laura Corbett Wilt said Sexton shouldn't get a modification.

His actions were premeditated and senseless, she said. Sexton lacked remorse, she said, and he inflicted an unquantifiable amount of pain on those who loved Uher.

Many Uher supporters filed victim impact statements, she said. One came from Thompson, who was a student peer counselor at Linganore High School when the murder happened.

"How do you counsel anyone on murder?" she wrote.

Uher's brother, Paul, who tuned in to the hearing through Zoom, wrote in a victim impact statement that he couldn't put into words the impact his brother's murder had on his life. Some days, he can only think about the "what ifs."

"How could my child's life be different if he had an uncle?" he wrote.

Others wanted to speak to Solt directly. Allen recalled how he and Uher were best friends and their families went on vacation together.

"I miss my friend," he said simply.

Andrew Horman, 50, of Hagerstown, shook as he read his statement off yellow lined paper. But his voice was clear.

He spoke about how Sexton helped look for Uher when he was missing, making searchers avoid the railroad tracks behind Horman's house in Urbana, a popular hangout spot for Uher and his friends. Uher's body was found there.

"He dumped [Uher] like a piece of garbage," Horman said.

As Sexton stood to speak in court on Friday, the palpable sorrow from Uher's friends changed to something sharper — anger.

Sexton turned to the group and apologized for the pain he caused and said he's been trying to make amends. He said to Uher's friends that if he is let out, he would sit down with them to talk, with a mediator.

"I'm not your enemy. ... I have nothing but love and kindness for you," he said to the group. "That, and contrition and regret."

Kevin Fisher, 49, of Myersville, got up, said he didn't want to hear Sexton speak, and left.

Sexton turned to Solt, saying that just because he made good things happen in prison, it's still a dark place. He likened being sent to prison at 17 to being attacked by piranhas.

He asked for an opportunity to further atone for what he did.

"I've screwed up my life, but I can help others," he said.

Solt acknowledged that Sexton has done many good things in prison, and was showing that he was rehabilitated, but said Frederick County Circuit Court Judge G. Edward Dwyer's sentence in 1989 was appropriate.

Solt said as part of Dwyer's sentence, Sexton is eligible for parole, so it's not her decision whether he should go free earlier than he would under Dwyer's sentence, she said.

"This is a parole board decision, not a court decision," she said.

Someone sentenced to life is not eligible for parole until they serve 15 years, Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith said. After that, they are eligible for a parole hearing every three years.

However, if Sexton were granted parole on the life sentence, he still would have to qualify for parole for the remaining 40 years of his sentence, Smith said. Sexton was sentenced to 20 years for armed robbery and 20 years, to be served consecutively, for using a handgun.

He would have to complete 50% of each sentence before qualifying for parole for each one, Smith said.

While Thompson and her friends cried, Sexton remained stoic as he left the courtroom.

"Some homicides, committed by juveniles, deserve the sentences they got," Smith said.

Kinna said it felt like the last 33 years of stress and angst were lifted when Solt denied the request for a new sentence. Relief was an understatement, she said.

Kinna lived next to New Market Middle School. She remembered the police knocking on her door, trying to find Uher.

"This is the justice Marc deserves," she said. "It's what his family, it's what everybody needs."

Follow Clara Niel on Twitter: @clarasniel