Lawrence County man convicted of murder will remain in prison for life

LAWRENCE CO., Ala. (WAFF) - A man convicted of murdering another man in Lawrence County will continue his sentence of life without parole after a hearing took place Tuesday afternoon.

Evan Miller, now 28, was 14-years-old when he was convicted for the murder of Cole Cannon in 2003.

Records show Cannon was beaten to death with a baseball bat and his mobile home was then set on fire while he was still in it. A jury convicted Miller of capital murder he was sentenced to life in prison.

The judge who ruled on the decision took several things into consideration including Miller’s age at the time of the crime, his early exposure to violence and drug use, and his mental health. The judge also mentioned Miller’s lack of remorse for the crime.

In 2012, Miller’s attorneys took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that a life sentence with no chance of parole was unconstitutional for a juvenile. However, the judge stood by his decision to keep Miller in prison calling the nature of the crime “heinous.”

The attorneys on each side did not present any testimonies or evidence at Tuesday’s hearing. The second defendant also convicted of Canon’s murder, Colby Smith, remains in prison as well.

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