Updated at 3:38 p.m. to reflect verdict.
A 24-year-old man convicted in the kidnapping and death of 13-year-old Shavon Randle has been sentenced to 99 years in prison.
Desmond Jones had to be restrained and forcibly removed from a Dallas County courtroom after an outburst during the sentencing phase of the trial.
Jones was convicted of engaging in organized criminal activity in the kidnapping and death of Shavon. He faced a minimum of 15 years in prison.
The sentencing phase of the trial began immediately after the verdict was read Friday afternoon but was cut short after a second outburst from the defendant.
Jones is the first person to go on trial in Dallas County in connection with Shavon's disappearance and death. Three other men are awaiting trial.
Shavon was taken in June 2017 from her aunt's home in Lancaster, where she was staying. Her body was found days later in an abandoned house in Oak Cliff, along with the body of 19-year-old Michael Titus.
Titus' family was in the courtroom Friday when sentencing began and one of his relatives started antagonizing Jones after he elected not to testify.
"It started because [Jones] came out like he accomplished and that wasn’t right," said Eric Garnett, Titus' brother.
"It just so happened there were two families impacted so someone has to feel the hurt of this little girl being hurt and someone has to feel the hurt for Michael Titus being hurt," Garnett said.
State District Judge Tracy Holmes ordered those who were disruptive to get out of the courtroom and told Jones to sit down.
"They talkin', they talkin'," he said before finally taking a seat.
But Jones had another outburst while his sister was testifying on his behalf.
"[Expletive] don't even matter no more," Jones said as he started to stand up. "I don't give a [expletive] no more."
Bailiffs had to physically restrain him and carry him out of the courtroom."
Jones listened to the rest of the proceedings from a holding cell.
Deandra Bradley, one of Shavon's relatives, said Jones' actions in the courtroom showed he doesn't feel remorse for his role in the girl's death.
"I feel like when he did what he did in the courtroom, he showed exactly who he was, and that's what we needed," Bradley said.
Titus' family said they also felt like Jones didn't care about his actions.
Murder and kidnapping
Jurors could've convicted Jones of the lesser offenses of murder and aggravated kidnapping, which carry shorter minimum sentences.
Defense attorneys argued that Jones was forced to be involved in the scheme to take the girl in retaliation over stolen drugs.
Defense attorney Allan Fishburn argued that Jones was involved because he "was compelled to do so under an ongoing threat of death."
He said Jones should be found not guilty because he did not choose to be involved.
Authorities say Shavon was kidnapped in retaliation after $250,000 worth of marijuana was stolen from a group led by Darius Fields.
In hours of recorded interviews with the FBI, Jones detailed how Shavon was taken from her aunt's home with a pillowcase over her head. She was bound with telephone wire.
The girl was shot four times, according to the medical examiner. She was found wearing nothing but a bra and her underwear, according to court testimony.
Shavon had just celebrated her 13th birthday days before kidnapping. She was taken from the home wearing pajamas.
Lead prosecutor Jennifer Falk argued before jurors Friday morning that Shavon must've been terrified.
She was "a 13-year-old little girl with her hands bound with a blue internet cord...with her Star Wars fuzzy pajama pants on," Falk said.
Co-conspirators
Fields, Jones, Laquon Wilkerson and Devontae Owens were all arrested in connection with the kidnapping.
Titus, who was shot twice, is believed to have also been involved in the kidnapping. Jones told authorities that Titus killed Shavon because she saw his face, and that Wilkerson then killed Titus because they blamed him for the drugs being stolen and for the death of Shavon.
Another man, Kendall Perkins, is accused of aggravated robbery in connection with the 100 pounds of marijuana stolen from a motel room. That led Fields and Owens to orchestrate the kidnapping, authorities have said.
The original target of the kidnapping was Shavon's cousin, Ledoris Randle, who is the girlfriend of Perkins.
Randle testified earlier in the week that she received threatening phone calls from the kidnappers.
"They was like, 'You better not get the police involved. Bring us our drugs,'" Randle testified Tuesday.
Randle also acknowledged on the stand did not initially tell authorities all she knew, saying that she was scared.
Defense attorneys Fisburn and Jeff Lehman argued that Jones was not part of the conspiracy to kidnap anyone and was not an active member of Fields' crew.
They said Jones only knew Fields and the others because he was best friends with Titus, who everyone believed allowed Perkins to steal the drugs.
Lehman argued that the physical evidence doesn't link Jones to Shavon's death.
Active participant
But prosecutors argued Jones was an active participant in the days of planning the kidnapping and trying to cover up Shavon's slaying.
"They douse her in bleach so that they don't leave DNA behind," Falk said.
Falk disputed the defense's portrayal of Jones as an unwilling participant. She said Jones knew helped because he wanted to be part of Fields' crew.
Prosecutors said that when the plot was hatched to kidnap Ledoris Randle, Jones did not take the opportunity to notify the authorities. They also reminded jurors that Jones told investigators that he served as a "lookout" during the kidnapping.
"He is actively participating in the most despicable way because he is an evil person," Falk said. "He is evil just like Darius Fields. He is evil just like Laquon Wilkerson. And he is evil just like Devontae Owens."
Throughout the trial, prosecutors have displayed a puzzle with Shavon's picture. Several puzzle pieces were missing from it.
"The final puzzle piece is finding him guilty of what we all know he did," Falk told jurors.
Trials for Wilkerson and Owens are scheduled during the summer.
Fields has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison on weapons charges.