DETROIT – Earl Maxwell was sentenced Thursday to 25-50 years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend Latrese Morris-Dorsey.
Morris-Dorsey, 42, was shot multiple times June 18 at her home in the 20060 block of Avon Avenue. Police said Maxwell shot Morris-Dorsey in front of her 4-year-old daughter. Her 14-year-old son was in a nearby room in the house, police said.
The couple had been dating for four years before the murder. Testimony revealed Morris-Dorsey may have been dating someone else, making Maxwell upset. Her estranged husband testified about phone calls he had with Maxwell.
"He called me at least 20 times because she had cut her phone off, so the only person he could get in touch with is me," said Paul Dorsey, Morris-Dorsey's estranged husband.
Dorsey was asked what Maxwell said when they first spoke.
"'When I see your wife, I'm going to kill her,'" Dorsey said. "Second time he called, he reiterated he was going to hurt her."
He said the threat was made two weeks before his ex-wife's death.
"I told her everything," Dorsey said. "From the beginning to when he cooled down, saying, 'Hey, let's get this business together.'"
Dorsey said after making the threat, Maxwell called back to recant it.
In his statement, Maxwell said he accidentally shot Morris-Dorsey 10 times.
Medical officials were called to the scene and pronounced Morris-Dorsey dead.
Maxwell was charged with second-degree murder and a felony firearms violation. He pleaded guilty in May.