FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — The convicted killer behind a deadly Northeast Fresno shooting learned his fate in court Thursday.
Clarence Houghton sat silent during his sentencing, as the family of 17-year-old Darion Wheeler shared the impact of the young life lost.
“He made me live one of my biggest fears, speaking at someone’s funeral I’m most closest to,” said Wheeler’s niece Sha’nyah Reed, still shaken by the tragedy.
She was just one of dozens of family members in the courtroom, eagerly waiting as the justice they had waited five years for finally came.
After all this time, Wheeler’s sister Kadesia Travis is still longing for answers.
“I want to say I forgive him, because I’m a forgiving person, but sometimes I still ask ‘why’ without understanding,” Travis said to the judge.
Investigators say in December 2021, Houghton met Wheeler near the intersection of Angus and Barstow to buy marijuana.
The transaction quickly turned deadly when Houghton shot the teen and drove off.
It would take investigators almost a year to track Houghton down, finally arresting him in Nevada in 2022.
And now Houghton has been sentenced for second-degree murder.
The judge ordered a total aggregate prison sentence of 18 years to life.
Outside, Wheeler’s family was able to leave the trial behind and focus on fond memories.
“He was definitely a person you could go to for laughter; his jokes were so unmatched,” Reed said. “Funniest person I knew.”
Given the nature of the charges, the judge decided to make Houghton ineligible for probation.
He’ll spend at least 18 years in state prison before becoming eligible for parole.
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