Phenix City man once linked to 5 homicides sentenced on drug and gun charges

Antonio Darset King Sr., an alleged career criminal from Phenix City who faces a capital murder charge in Russell County, was sentenced on federal drug and gun charges Thursday in Montgomery, Ala.

Once King, 47, has been delivered to a federal prison, Russell County authorities can try him in the Feb. 24, 2014, fatal shooting of his 19-year-old nephew, Sayquwan Wiggins, said District Attorney Ken Davis.

Investigators probing Wiggins’ death in 2014 found the evidence that led to the federal charges on which King was sentenced Thursday. While searching King’s Phenix City home, they found a gun, more than 5 grams of cocaine and about $3,000 in cash.

A federal jury in March convicted King on charges of possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, being a felon with a firearm, and possessing cocaine with the intent to sell it. U.S. District Court Judge James Whittemore sentenced him to 25 years.

A long history

Area authorities over the years have linked King to at least five homicides, of which his nephew’s was the most recent.

Wiggins was gunned down in the cemetery of New Hope Baptist Church off Ala. 165 in Cottonton. Investigators said they believe the shooting was drug-related and the killers used an assault rifle.

Besides King, Santago Montrell Davis was charged in that case. Davis was Wiggins’ uncle by marriage, authorities said.

King also was a suspect in the Feb. 6, 2011, death of Timothy Turman, who was shot repeatedly at 1102 Dillingham St. in Phenix City, where investigators reported finding drugs in the home and on the victim. But Davis was compelled to dismiss that case when the lead investigator, police Sgt. Daniel Davis, died Nov. 10, 2014, in what authorities decided was an accidental shooting.

In 1998, King was charged in the fatal shooting of Norman Long, an alleged drug dealer shot in front Columbus’ Booker T. Washington Apartments. King was awaiting trial in that case when he was implicated in the 2001 slaying of Shareff Lewis, 23. Though King’s murder charge was dropped in Lewis’ death, he admitted helping to dispose of Lewis’ body and to clean the car used in the crime.

King’s first trial in Long’s homicide ended in a mistrial. He in 2004 accepted a plea agreement, and was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading to involuntary manslaughter, being a convicted felon with a firearm and concealing a death.

Alabama court records show King over the years has been charged with more than 30 crimes, but had only four convictions.

This story was originally published August 11, 2016 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Phenix City man once linked to 5 homicides sentenced on drug and gun charges."