ADEL — A Cook County man pleaded guilty last week to voluntary manslaughter in a 2018 killing, according to the Alapaha District Attorney’s office.

Ayron D. Turner of Adel — originally charged with malice murder — will serve 15 years in prison, followed by five years on probation for the manslaughter charge and another 10 years on probation for possession of firearm during the commission of a felony and tampering with evidence, according to a statement from the Alapaha District Attorney’s office.

“Voluntary manslaughter is a lesser included offense of malice murder. There was an extensive amount of testing of the blood evidence in this case by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, including DNA testing and gunshot residue testing. Based on the results of those tests and after consulting with law enforcement, it was determined that voluntary manslaughter was the more appropriate charge in this case,” Alapaha District Attorney Chase Studstill said in a statement.

On Nov. 14, 2018, Turner was in a trailer on Turkey Drive where Toriano Johnson entered and the two got into an argument; Johnson was shot and killed, according to the statement.The investigation was conducted by law enforcement officials with the Adel Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

“This is a complicated case,” Studstill said. “It was pending for several years before I took office this past year.”

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.