News 12 @ 6 o'clock, February 8, 2010

AIKEN CTY, S.C. --- Behind an abandoned house on Stillwater Road in Windsor is where an Aiken County couple found the decomposing body of 19-year-old Marquez Tyler. The men in court charged with his death are his so-called friends, Matthew Jackson and Tyrone Gleaton.

"It was horrible, it wasn't good. We didn't like it, justice wasn't served," said Marquez's mother Linda Tyler. She was there as the two men pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and armed robbery charges instead of murder in the death of her son. Jackson and Gleaton said they had originally planned to only rob Marquez but their plan turned deadly when one of the men shot him in the head. Both men blame each other for pulling the trigger and were sentenced to 15 years behind bars with 5 years probation.

"They gave them more time for stealing from him than killing him. What type of justice system do we have?" said Marquez's godmother Levoria Searles.

"We was looking for Marquez for months before we found him and they can just go in there and plead guilty and get off with a slap on the wrist? I don't think that's fair, we'll never see Marquez," said family member Angela Tyler.

"They'll be able to pick up the phone from whatever institution they're at to call their mother and say I love you. Marquez won't have that chance," said Searles.

And while his family says the sentence doesn't fit the crime, they say all they wanted was justice for Marquez.

"I wanted the maximum sentence or death. My child can't walk or talk, see his son grow up, so neither should they," said Tyler.

"What if this was your child? Would you be satisfied with the verdict? I don't think so," said Searles.

Matthew Jackson's mother spoke on behalf of her family and her son saying Marquez was like member of their family and apologized for what happened.

Minutes after sentencing, the two families got into a fight outside of the courthouse. Aiken Public Safety and the sheriff's office were able to end it before someone got hurt.