Background: Marcus Lofton testifies during his trial (MLive.com/YouTube). Inset: Alicia Lofton (GoFundMe).
A Michigan man who pleaded guilty to murdering the woman who tried to divorce him learned his fate in court.
Marcus Lofton, 44, was sentenced to 25-50 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Lofton shot his wife, 38-year-old Alicia Lofton, 15 times on Aug. 17, 2023, the day after she served him with divorce papers. The couple had been married for just six months.
Marcus Lofton”s plea agreement came after a mistrial on the same charges, when a jury could not come to a unanimous verdict. During the sentencing, which was covered by local news outlet MLive.com, Marcus Lofton chose not to speak but was in the courtroom to hear from the people who loved the woman he murdered.
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Arthur Joseph, the father of Alicia Lofton, laced into Marcus Lofton after Judge Scott Noto handed down his sentence. Joseph held back his emotions as he said, “I just want the world to know that this guy is a piece of garbage. I wish I could handle this and serve justice on his a— right now.”
As Law&Crime previously reported, Marcus Lofton’s relationship with his late wife came to a head after he was arrested for a domestic violence incident against her in May 2023 and barred from making contact with her. As she prepared to file for divorce and sell the house they shared, Marcus Lofton’s temper flared.
More from Law&Crime: Ex-con facing domestic violence against newlywed wife fatally shoots her a day after she files for divorce: Documents
The day after Alicia Lofton served her husband with divorce papers, he arrived at the home to retrieve his belongings and a fight ensued. Marcus Lofton grabbed his wife’s Glock pistol from a drawer and the gun went off. She ran into a bathroom and locked the door, but he forced the door open. As she tried to escape out a window, Marcus Lofton shot her several times. He then fled in his SUV.
Alicia Lofton’s body was found on the lawn outside after neighbors called 911 and police arrived at the scene. Her body had “numerous fatal gunshot wounds.” She was a mother of three grown children.
