Clear water (wqow) – A hefty prison sentence was handed down Friday for the man accused of killing Eddie Banks in 2022.
Philip Novak, 39, was one of three people charged after Banks’ death.
Related: 3 people charged in connection to Eau Claire County homicide case
Banks’ body was found along a rural road near Brackett in June 2022.
According to the criminal complaint, Banks had not delivered $500 worth of drugs one of the accused paid him for. Police said Banks was lured into a truck where Novak hid with a gun and confronted Banks after he got in. Multiple people told police the gun went off shortly after that.
An autopsy showed Banks was shot in the right cheek in a downward motion.
Friday in court, Novak pleaded guilty to an amended count of felony murder. He was originally charged with intentional homicide.
Novak was sentenced to 20 1/2 years in prison, followed by six and a half years of extended supervision.
The cases against Kristina Keppert and Vanessa Ketteman are still open. They’re both scheduled to be sentenced in October after agreeing to plea deals in 2024 and 2023 respectively.
Have a story idea? Let us knowhere