25°
Michael Andrew Kane of Pleasantville was sentenced to 14 years in state prison on Friday in California, according to the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office.
Kane was one of seven men involved in the brutal killing of Jeffrey Quinn Settler in the hills of northwest Laytonville, the DA's Office said.
He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter by use of a hatchet, and robbery of an inhabited dwelling while acting in concert with others, the DA's Office noted.
Kane had been hired by Settler as a marijuana trimmer, who along with the other men, killed Settler and then fled with 100 pounds of marijuana.
Investigators said the trimmers surprised Settler while he slept in a shed that housed the pot and slashed his throat.
Kane had been a fugitive in Mexico when he reached out to family members to help turn himself into police in January 2017, authorities said.
Long-grieving family members -- the victim's father, mother, sister, and brother -- traveled from Texas to watch and participate in the proceedings, including delivering impact statements on behalf of the extended Settler family.
The other six co-defendants will be sentenced on Friday, Nov. 2.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Mamaroneck and receive free news updates.
