A Man Serves Time In Prison For Murders That A Hitman Admits

January 5, 2018 Update:

Davontae Sanford is set to receive $408,000 from the state of Michigan for wrongful conviction.  He spent more than 8 years in prison for murders he did not commit. Detroit News has more on the update.

Vincent “Vito” Smothers is serving 52 years in prison for killing 8 people, including being hired by Detroit Police Department Sergeant David Cobb to kill Cobb’s wife. Smothers is a hit man, and has now confessed to killing 4 other people. The problem is that another man is currently serving time for those murders.

Side note: Cobb was arrested a day after Smothers was arrested for killing Cobb’s wife. Cobb was released after prosecutors said there wasn’t enough evidence to charge him. Cobbs remained suspended without pay. In September 2008, Cobb was found dead, hanged in Sterling Heights. It was ruled a suicide.

Vincent Smothers (left) and Devontae Sanford, (right)

In 2007, 14-year old Davontae Sanford, who is illiterate and blind in one eye, walked up to police at a murder scene.  He immediately became a suspect.   Detectives realized that Davontae did not know details about the crime, but his public defender convinced him to avoid trial and enter a guilty plea.  Davontae eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sent to prison.