After receiving two guilty verdicts in the murders of Candace Marcel and Stanley Bussell, Bobby Spikes was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in Christian Circuit Court Wednesday morning.
Spikes was found guilty by a jury at trial in September, on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree robbery, one count of tampering with physical evidence and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon—but they did find him not guilty on a charge of kidnapping. The jury recommended two life sentences without the possibility of parole, and on Wednesday, Spikes’ defense attorney requested that the judge change that sentence to give his client the possibility of parole.
Before ruling on that, the court heard from some of the family of the victims. Bussell’s sister, Yvonne Darrow, read letters from her family, saying Spikes has proven he feels no remorse, and they’ll feel the loss of her brother forever.
Marcel’s father, Clifton Locklear, thanked the jury for their verdict and sentence, saying his daughter didn’t deserve what happened to her and they’ll be fighting with it for the rest of their lives.
Spikes himself spoke to the court and the family, and he continued to maintain that he is innocent.
Judge John Atkins didn’t hesitate, sentencing Spikes to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Spikes shot and killed Bussell at a Clearman Court residence in Hopkinsville in December of 2021, and also killed Marcel that same night before abandoning Bussell’s vehicle—with Marcel’s body inside—on Cerulean Road in Trigg County. That’s where she would be discovered, sparking the investigation that would lead to his arrest, and eventual conviction.