Mississippi's "Goon Squad" sentenced

By Emma Tucker, Aditi Sangal and Tori B. Powell, CNN

Updated 2:07 p.m. ET, April 10, 2024

What we covered here

Today's hearing: The six former Mississippi law enforcement officers who pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the January 2023 torture and abuse of two Black men received state sentences Wednesday ranging from 15 and 45 years after pleading guilty in August.
The state sentences: Three of the officers — Brett McAlpin, Daniel Opdyke and Jeffrey Middleton — were sentenced to 20 years. Christian Dedmon was sentenced to 25 years. Hunter Elward was sentenced to 45 years. Joshua Hartfield was sentenced to 15 years. All of their state sentences are to run concurrently with their federal sentences.
The victims: The former officers handcuffed, kicked, waterboarded and used Tasers on two Black men — Eddie Parker and Michael Jenkins — and attempted to sexually assault them over nearly two hours before Elward put a gun in Jenkins’ mouth and shot him, the victims said.

Our live coverage has ended. You can read more about today's hearing in the posts below.

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8:57 a.m. ET, April 10, 2024

The 6 Mississippi officers received long sentences in a federal court last month

From CNN's Emma Tucker

The six Mississippi officers who will be sentenced on state charges today have already received long federal sentences.

Here's what they are:

Christian Dedmon, 29, ex-Rankin County Sheriff’s narcotics investigator: 40 years
Brett McAlpin, 53, ex-Rankin County Sheriff’s chief investigator: 27 1/4 years
Hunter Elward, 31, ex-Rankin County Sheriff’s deputy: 20 years
Jeffrey Middleton, 46, ex-Rankin County Sheriff’s lieutenant: 17 1/2 years
Daniel Opdyke, 28, ex-Rankin County Sheriff’s deputy: 17 1/2 years
Joshua Hartfield, 32, ex-Richland Police narcotics investigator: 10 years

All six have also pleaded guilty to state charges.

8:56 a.m. ET, April 10, 2024

Former Mississippi officers will be sentenced in state court today in "Goon Squad" torture of 2 Black men

From CNN's Emma Tucker

This combination of photos shows, from top left, former Rankin County sheriff's deputies Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke and former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield appearing at the Rankin County Circuit Court in Brandon, Mississippi, August 14, 2023. Rogelio V. Solis/AP

Six White former Mississippi law enforcement officers sentenced in federal court last month after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the torture and abuse of two Black men are scheduled to be sentenced again Wednesday – this time on state charges related to the same January 2023 crimes.

The hearing is scheduled to take place in a circuit court that sits in the heart of the Rankin County seat of Brandon – across the street from a Confederate monument – and around 20 miles from the home where the racially charged torture of Parker and Jenkins took place.

The defendants, who include five former Rankin County Sheriff’s deputies; Hunter Elward, Brett McAlpin, Christian Dedmon, Daniel Opdyke, Jeffrey Middleton, and former Richland Police Department officer Joshua Hartfield, pleaded guilty in August to state and federal charges tied to the abuse of Eddie Parker and Michael Jenkins.

Their state sentences will potentially run concurrently with the federal prison sentences they were handed in a Jackson courtroom last month: 10 years for Hartfield, 17.5 years for Middleton, 17.5 years for Opdyke, just over 27 years for McAlpin, 20 years for Elward and 40 years for Dedmon.

It’s unclear whether the state charges will result in any additional prison time since they’d likely be concurrent with the federal sentences.

Read more about how today's sentencing could play out here.