A Wisconsin judge on Wednesday sentenced Marcus Randle El to two consecutive life sentences in prison for the 2020 murders of two women. He was convicted by a jury in January of 2023 on the murder charges.
Rock County judge Barbara McCrory noted at the sentencing that Randle El will be eligible for early release after 60 years. He would be 93 years old by that point.
Randle El, who played football at Wisconsin from 2004-07, is the younger brother for Super Bowl champion and former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Antwaan Randle El. The elder brother is currently coaching NFL wide receivers for the Detroit Lions.
Prosecutors charged Randle El in the shooting deaths of two women — Brittany McAdory and Seairaha Winchester — in February 2020.
Randle El will have to file a request for early release when he becomes eligible in 2083. The judge noted that the request being approved then is not a guarantee.
More on Marcus Randle El’s murder case
After deliberating for approximately two hours, the jury found Randle El guilty on the pair of murder charges. They also found him guilty on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The jury found him guilty of operating a vehicle without consent while possessing a weapon, too.
According to a report from The Associated Press from the conviction, Antwaan was present in the courtroom. The AP reported he “wore a pained look on his face as the Rock County jury returned the verdict.” Antwaan played more than a decade in the NFL, primarily for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s now the wide receivers coach for the Detroit Lions.
“This is not who he is or who we have come to know,” Antwaan said, according to a report from Fox News. “All I’m asking the judge is to give him (an) opportunity.”
Prosecutors argued that Randle El had killed Winchester after suspecting she was informing police about his drug dealing. He subsequently killed McAdory so there were no witnesses.
Investigators didn’t recover a murder weapon. But law enforcement testified that text messages and surveillance footage link Randle El to the killings.
Defense attorneys argued the prosecution hadn’t met the burden of proof, given there was no murder weapon or DNA evidence.
The Covid 19 pandemic delayed the trial, which would’ve normally began much closer to the date of the charges. The trial concluded almost three years after the original crime.
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