Man sentenced in murder of mother during carjacking attempt

DETROIT – A Detroit man was sentenced Tuesday in the murder of a woman who was gunned down while picking up her son from basketball practice.

Ralph Marshall, 17,  pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and felony firearms violations. He was sentenced to 25 to 60 years in prison.

Erica Garner was killed in January while waiting in her car outside the old 8 Mile Light Guard Armory. Her 11-year-old son got into the car without realizing what had happened. Garner drove a block before getting out of the vehicle to flag down another car. She collapsed and was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Her son was able to give police an accurate description of the shooter and Marshall was located at a nearby bus stop.

A second person stood trial as an accomplice and was found not guilty.

Garner leaves behind an 11-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter.

Stay with Local 4 and ClickonDetroit.com for updates.


About the Authors:

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.