Final suspect in Jefferson County double murder sentenced to life in prison
The fourth and final suspect in a 2020 double murder that occurred in Jefferson County was sentenced to life in prison. He was a minor at the time of the killing and now won't be eligible for parole for 40 years.
Marqueil Banks, 18, was sentenced Tuesday for his role in the killing of Damian Wikoff, 18, and Dillon Wikoff, 17, in Lakewood in August of 2020. All four suspects were minors at the time of the killing.
According to the First Judicial District Attorney's Office, Damian and Dillon Wikoff tried to sell Michael Mendoza, 20, a "ghost gun" at the time and engage in a trade for another gun when Mendoza, 17 at the time, recruited a group of teens to rob the Wikoffs. During the robbery, the Wikoffs were shot and killed by Banks, who was 16 at the time.
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Mendoza and Banks were charged as adults.
Mendoza pled guilty to aggravated robbery and manslaughter, both felonies, last year and was sentenced to about 20 years in prison. Banks was convicted in March in a jury trial and sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.
The other two suspects, both 15 years old at the time of the killing, pled guilty. One pled to aggravated robbery and was sentenced to two years in juvenile intensive supervised probation while the other pled guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to four years in juvenile detention.
