Zachary Navarre Morgan, now 20, pleaded guilty to accessory to murder after the fact for his role in the death of then-17-year-old Jeremiah Jenkins before 12th Circuit Judge Michael Nettles.

Nettles sentenced Morgan to 15 years on that charge and an additional three years on an unrelated burglary charge. The judge ordered that the sentences run consecutively.

Jenkins’ body was discovered Aug. 30, 2009, in a vacant building at 521 S. Irby St. several weeks after he was reported missing.

His body was severely decomposed and his identity was confirmed only after an autopsy and DNA analysis by the State Law Enforcement Division.

Also charged in Jenkins’ slaying were 20-year-old Donovan Alexis Roman of Florence 18-year-old A. James “A.J.” Woye.

In April, Roman was sentenced to life in prison. In July, Woye was sentenced to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder.

“This is one of the most malicious things I’ve ever seen,” 12th Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements III said during Roman’s sentencing. “He laid in wait and killed Jeremiah Jenkins then showed a total disregard for humanity by stuffing his body into a wall and leaving him there to rot.”

Clements said Roman was “absolutely the mastermind to this crime and exercised a tremendous amount of manipulation and control over his two co-defendants. He even told them they shouldn’t be seen together without him.

Just before Jenkins’ death, Clements said, Roman instructed Morgan to bring someone to the abandoned building who was “interested in joining his organization.”

Once there, Roman instructed Jenkins, Woye and Morgan to put on latex gloves. This, Clements said, was so their DNA wouldn’t be detected under Jenkins’ fingernails if he began to struggle during the attack.

Roman then gave the peace sign to Woye — a cue for him to stab Jenkins. Roman began beating Jenkins about the head with blunt objects, then hid his body in the wall, Clements said.

Roman said during his sentencing he’s sorry for his crimes. When he killed Jenkins, he said, he believed he was his “character.”

“I couldn’t control myself. I didn’t know what was real and what was fake,” Roman said. “I never meant for this to happen, I swear I didn’t.”

Just weeks after Roman’s conviction, Nettles ruled Roman will spend the rest of his life in prison despite an effort by his attorneys to get the trial judge to reconsider the sentence he handed down.

Nettles said in determining sentences, judges have to differentiate between the wayward and the wicked.

“Donovan Roman is wicked,” he said in denying the motion April 23.

Clements said he is glad the case is complete and pleased with the outcome.

“There’s never really any true closure for the family that loses a loved one in a heinous crime like this, but we’re glad all three of the people responsible are behind bars,” he said. “And we’re especially glad that Donovan Roman, the mastermind behind this, got life without parole. He’s the one who orchestrated this whole thing and got the other two boys involved in criminal activity.”