Convicted killer sentenced for murder of 17 year old Darion Wheeler

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The convicted slayer down a deadly Northeast Fresno shooting learned his destiny successful tribunal Thursday.

Clarence Houghton sat soundless during his sentencing, arsenic the household of 17-year-old Darion Wheeler shared the interaction of the young beingness lost.

"He made maine unrecorded 1 of my biggest fears, speaking astatine someone's ceremonial I'm astir closest to," said Wheeler's niece Sha'nyah Reed, inactive shaken by the tragedy.

She was conscionable 1 of dozens of household members successful the courtroom, eagerly waiting arsenic the justness they had waited 5 years for yet came.

After each this time, Wheeler's sister Kadesia Travis is inactive longing for answers.

"I privation to accidental I forgive him, due to the fact that I'm a forgiving person, but sometimes I inactive inquire 'why' without understanding," Travis said to the judge.

Investigators accidental successful December 2021, Houghton met Wheeler adjacent the intersection of Angus and Barstow to bargain marijuana.

The transaction rapidly turned deadly erstwhile Houghton changeable the teen and drove off.

It would instrumentality investigators astir a twelvemonth to way Houghton down, yet arresting him successful Nevada successful 2022.

And present Houghton has been sentenced for second-degree murder.

The justice ordered a full aggregate situation condemnation of 18 years to life.

Outside, Wheeler's household was capable to permission the proceedings down and absorption connected fond memories.

"He was decidedly a idiosyncratic you could spell to for laughter; his jokes were truthful unmatched," Reed said. "Funniest idiosyncratic I knew."

Given the quality of the charges, the justice decided to marque Houghton ineligible for probation.

He'll walk astatine slightest 18 years successful authorities situation earlier becoming eligible for parole.