Shooting accomplice sentenced to 38 years

A Vancouver man convicted of serving as an accomplice to a 2009 Rose Village murder was sentenced Thursday morning to 38 years in prison.

Derik L. Maples, 24, was convicted Oct. 18 by a Clark County Superior Court jury of second-degree murder and first-degree assault. The charges related to a Dec. 1, 2009, drug deal gone bad at the S&S Mart.

Maples had arranged a cocaine deal and brought along a friend, Justin Tyler, as security. When they arrived at the convenience store, Maples sat inside a car with the purchaser, Clement Adams, jurors heard at trial. When Maples realized Adams tried to use counterfeit money to pay for the drugs, Maples jumped out of the car, telling Tyler: “He robbed me.”

Tyler fired his gun and killed the 45-year-old Adams. Another passenger in the car, Tyshaun Foreman, was not injured.

Tyler pleaded guilty last spring to second-degree murder. He received 32 years in prison.

In imposing Maples’ sentence, Clark County Superior Court Judge John Wulle said the two were equally responsible but that Maples’ nine prior felonies factored into the higher sentencing range.