Richard Marion Gray was killed June 13 trying to prevent Belding from stealing his van at the U.S. Oil convenience store at 22nd and Messanie. Gray died five days later from a traumatic head injury.
Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Scroggins described the “remarkable contrast” between the defendant and the victim, reciting Belding’s lengthy history of drug abuse and prior offenses including multiple charges of tampering with a motor vehicle, for which he went to prison and was paroled in March of 2016.
“…and three months later he does it again, ending the life of this remarkable man,” Scroggins told the judge.
Scroggins told Circuit Judge Patrick Robb that Marion Gray was “a man of God, a man of love, who spent every waking moment trying to make people’s lives better.”
Friends and family members offered many details, describing a man devoted to his church, to his family and to helping others less fortunate. His pastor called him passionate, humble, shy, smart and wise, a storyteller and a listener, and “a fixer of just about anything.”
His daughter described the fatal irony of trying to steal her father’s tools.
“Chances are if you see a wheelchair ramp around the city, his hands were involved in building it, and the tools Belding stole helped build it,” said Penny Anderson of her father.
But as to Belding, Scroggins said “he made awful choices, and awful choices have awful consequences.” Scroggins asked for the maximum sentence.
Public Defender Rinne asked Judge Robb to consider a different contrast, between the opportunities life had afforded each man. Rinne said the defendant had been molested as a child, had no role models, and had family members involved in drug abuse.
Rinne said her experience with Mr Belding was that he was a “nice guy.” She said he never said a negative thing to anybody, appeared to be truly remorseful, and was adamant about taking responsibility for his actions.
But Judge Patrick Robb told Belding that at age 28 he had shown no desire to change his behavior.
“You have failed, in my perception, to make any effort to change, to become a law abiding citizen,” Robb said. “Prison is where you belong.”
Robb ordered Belding to serve 30 years in the Department of Corrections. Belding must serve at least 85% of that, or 25-1/2 years, before he could become eligible for parole.
Belding’s lawyer acknowledged that, because of his priors, he client is very likely to serve 100% of his sentence.