Co-defendant pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in killing of 5-year-old boy

Kason Guyton would have celebrated his 13th birthday this Monday.

But after Kason was shot and killed on Feb. 23, 2017, the boy who only lived to be 5 will never know what it's like to be a teenager.

Kason's aunt, Ashlei Guyton, told The Californian earlier this week that Kason's brother, who was injured in the shooting, is trying to do just that — be a teenager — but the loss of his brother still deeply affects him and his family.

Years after the murder case against two men began, one of the co-defendants pleaded guilty Thursday to voluntary manslaughter and all other charges against him were dismissed, forgoing a trial, during proceedings in Kern County Superior Court.

Jeremy King, 31, was originally charged with three counts of shooting at an inhabited vehicle, one count of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of assault with a semi-automatic firearm on a person, one count of possessing a firearm as a felon and one count of carrying a loaded firearm in public as a member of a criminal street gang.

But all those charges were dismissed Thursday in the plea deal.

"Normally I would be very ecstatic that we resolved the matter for Mr. King and I think it's a really good resolution for him, but at the same time, we always have to remember the victim — a 5-year-old boy — is unfortunately no longer with us anymore," King's defense attorney, Andrew Flier of Levine Flier & Flier in Los Angeles, said in an interview after the hearing. "So it kind of spoils everything in respect to any result in this case."

Flier said King could face up to six years in prison with time-served credit. King was charged in the case in 2019 and was booked into Kern County jail on Oct. 17, 2019, according to Kern County Sheriff's booking records.

The Californian previously reported that Kason and his brother were shot while in a car driven by Davyon Vercher, the boyfriend of the boys' mother. According to a police report, Vercher was a member of a rival gang to King and co-defendant Jonathan Knight.

Knight, 35, is charged with four counts of shooting at an inhabited vehicle, assault with a semi-automatic weapon on a person, two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon, first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of carrying a loaded firearm in public as a member of a criminal street gang and one count of participating in a street gang.

Knight was indicted by a grand jury in 2019 and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Flier said Knight and King are cousins.

Outraged by the change in plea Thursday, family members of the defendants called Flier a liar outside the courthouse and claimed there was no evidence for Knight's case.

Knight is still slated to begin trial soon after the case was moved to Judge Charles Brehmer's courtroom earlier this week. Knight is represented by Bakersfield defense attorney Tim Hennessy.

After King changed his plea, he may have to testify against Knight in the trial. However, Flier said he would not comment on whether King will testify since Knight's case is pending. Flier said King is doing everything to make amends.

"He does have some really strong remorse about what happened in this case as he's always explained to me, so I think in the long run he honestly did the right thing," Flier said.

King will remain in custody until his sentencing, which is scheduled for Oct. 3.