Plea ends prosecution in 2022 homicide

EAU CLAIRE — One of the men accused by prosecutors of involvement in a 2022 murder has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

Jamon Sullivan, 29, Altoona, pleaded guilty to second degree recklessly endangering safety as a party to a crime. He originally faced a charge of first degree intentional homicide.

Sullivan was the last of four men to be convicted in the case. The other three also reached plea agreements with prosecutors. Sullivan's deal appears identical to the one given to Xavier Thompson. The charge is a Class G felony, which carries the potential for a decade in prison. But the original homicide charge would have meant a life sentence if he was convicted.

Notice of the plea hearing was filed less than a month ago, and prosecutors filed an amended trial information just prior to Monday's plea hearing. The agreement avoids a trial which had been scheduled for June 2025.

Sentencing is set for Dec. 20.

Sullivan was the last of the four defendants to be charged. Authorities say he was in a vehicle with Thompson, Michael Purnell and Kemone Golden when one of the four fired a gun at another car. One of the shots hit Christopher Conner in the heart, killing him.

The criminal complaint in the case said two groups of people were barhopping and had encountered each other at multiple locations. They argued, but there was no violence at the establishments.

When Conner left, the car he was in was followed by three others. The shooting took place near Bergen and Bellevue avenues.