After going through six attorneys, John "Cut Throat" Simpson acted as his own attorney Tuesday morning to plead guilty to the 2010 murder of Bernard Hughes.
Simpson will serve 25 years in prison at 100 percent for second-degree murder.
He also received a concurrent eight-year sentence for attempted second-degree murder.
He has already been held for four years in jail awaiting trial.
Criminal Court Judge Don Poole on Monday had told Simpson there would be no more delays and he would be going to trial today acting as his own lawyer. Standing with him was attorney Mike Acuff, the sixth attorney, who worked out the deal.
The state dismissed three charges.
The victim's twin sister has never missed a court appearance for all the defendants who were charged, and she sobbed outside the courtroom after the last case was over.
In the trial of Harold Francis "Bam" Butler, prosecutors called Simpson as a witness. Two weeks after the murder in June 2010, he gave a lengthy statement in which he said Butler was one of the gunmen in the slaying at the British Woods Apartments.
The jury heard a tape of Simpson telling police that Butler was one of the shooters.
But when questioned by prosecutor Cameron Williams, he said that was not the truth.
With the jury excused, Simpson said he had decided he wanted to withdraw his guilty plea to second-degree murder. He said, "I want a trial like the rest of them."
With the initial guilty plea, Simpson was to have received 15-25 years. At the time, he had already spent over three years of the time behind bars.
Judge Poole noted that in a trial in which he was charged with first-degree murder he "would be facing life in the penitentiary if he's convicted."
His attorney at the time, Jay Perry, asked Simpson if it was true that Butler had shot Hughes, and he said it was not true. Simpson was then sent back to jail.
Butler still wound up with a life sentence despite Simpson's default.
Simpson later was operating as his own attorney, though John Brooks was appointed as his "elbow counsel." Later, attorney Brooks was excused from the case.
Unjolee Moore, who was the driver, is facing life after his conviction. Simpson was not called as a witness in Moore's trial. Moore had given police a statement, but Butler did not.
Simpson was allegedly the other of two gunmen who shot Hughes and Timothy Westfield on the porch of Hughes' apartment. Hughes was shot in the head and chest and had bullets from two different guns in his body.
Steven James Ballou, 33, was also involved. Ballou pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and was given a 12-year prison sentence.
Prosecutor Cameron Williams said it is not believed that Simpson was armed during the robbery, but he took part.
He said Simpson's initial statement helped in getting a conviction against Butler.