15-year-old sentenced to 40 years for 2021 murder of boy burned to death in Coldwater

COLDWATER, Miss. (WMC) - A teenager has pleaded guilty to murder nearly two years after the burning death of a 13-year-old who was intentionally set on fire in Coldwater, Mississippi.

Michael Campbell, now 15, was originally indicted for capital murder but pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Friday, according to Tate County District Attorney Jay Hale.

Campbell was sentenced to 20 years in prison to be followed by an additional 20 years of supervised probation for a total sentence of 40 years.

According to Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance, on June 27, 2021, 13-year-old Gaines Coker was set on fire on a property near Arkabutla Lake.

Sheriff Lance said the boy was behind a shop on the property when he was engulfed in flames.

He was rushed to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, then flown to the burn unit in Little Rock where he died.

Campbell, who was 13 at the time of the murder, was tried as an adult in this case.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter!

Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.

Copyright 2023 WMC. All rights reserved.