18-year-old Cedar Rapids man faces 15 years in fatal shooting of Malik Sheets in 2020

CEDAR RAPIDS — An 18-year-old Cedar Rapids man admitted during a Friday plea hearing that he fatally shot University of Iowa student, Malik Sheets, during an argument at a June 18 party last year.

Christian D. Emedi, originally charged with first-degree murder and obstruction of prosecution, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

Under the plea agreement, he will be sentenced to 15 years in prison.

During the hearing, Emedi acknowledged he fired all five shots that killed Sheets, 20, who died from injuries to his neck and chest.

He admitted to all elements of the charge but entered an Alford plea to one of the elements — malice aforethought — or intentionally doing an unlawful act with an intent to cause injury.

In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but admits the prosecution has enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Ian Thornhill accepted the plea agreement, which included the sentencing agreement. He said he would order Emedi at sentencing to pay $150,000 to Sheets’ heirs or estate.

Emedi was 17 years old when he shot Sheets, which means the court has discretion on the mandatory sentence of 50 years in prison for adults convicted of second-degree murder. Those adults must serve 70 percent of the sentence before being eligible for parole.

There is no mandatory minimum sentence for juveniles.

The plea agreement suspends 35 years of the second-degree murder sentence, with Emedi serving 15 years in prison, First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said.

Maybanks said the obstruction of prosecution charge will be dismissed at sentencing.

Tyler Johnston, Emedi’s lawyer, said part of the plea agreement requires his client to waive his right to appeal.

In a separate case, Emedi will file a written plea to willful injury causing bodily injury, and that five-year sentence will run concurrently with the 50-year sentence. That charge involved Emedi and another teen assaulting Kavon Johnson, punching and stomping him, according to the criminal complaint.

Sheets family members and friends attended the hearing Friday but his parents, who have moved out of Iowa weren’t able to attend the hearing.

Malik’s father, Carlos Sheets, said Friday night he didn’t receive notice of the hearing in time to attend. He had planned to attend Emedi’s trial, which was previously set to start this Tuesday.

Plea agreement

After the plea, Maybanks was asked what influenced the plea agreement decision.

Maybanks said he understands that any life taken too soon leads people to want punishment for those responsible, but that isn’t the only “motive that guides prosecutors.”

“We must also seek the truth and to do that, we have to follow the evidence,” Maybanks said. “That’s exactly what we did throughout this case.”

Some of the witnesses in the case were not “forthright” with police early in the investigation, but they recently came forward, and the “picture became clearer” of what happened and who was responsible, he said.

Maybanks said facts that explain a plea agreement are “rarely” disclosed before sentencing, but he said he wanted to emphasize how important it is to be truthful with law enforcement from the beginning.

Because Emedi was a juvenile at the time of this offense and wasn’t subject to a mandatory sentence, it allowed the prosecution to consider mitigating circumstances and reach a resolution.

Maybanks said more of the facts would be put forward at Emedi’s sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.

“Malik Sheets was taken too soon, and Christian Emedi bears responsibility for his death,” Maybanks said. “We should remember Malik for the impressive young man he was to everyone who knew him.”

Carlos Sheets told The Gazette before any arrests were made that he knew his son wasn’t causing trouble at the party that night. Malik was a “funny, smart and caring young man” who wanted to help people.

His son was majoring in psychology at the University of Iowa, his father said. He graduated from Cedar Rapids Washington High School as a salutatorian with honors in math and science. He also was on the swim team, played football and ran track at Washington.

The other teen charged in Sheets’ death, Marshawn L. Jeffries, of Cedar Rapids, also has a tentative plea agreement, which hasn’t been filed.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com