2 Men Face 40 Years In Prison For Killing Lower Bucks Co. Father Of 3

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Two Philadelphia men face up to 40 years in prison in the fatal shooting of a Bristol Township man in 2016, authorities said.

The Bucks County District Attorney's Office said that the two men were sentenced Friday for killing Herbert Lyals, 38, of Bristol Township. Lyals, a father of three, was killed on his 38th birthday.

Authorities said that George Javon Clark, 34, who was previously convicted in July of third-degree murder following a weeklong jury trial, was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in state prison.

Meanwhile, John Marquis Wilson, 45, who pleaded guilty Friday to third-degree murder, robbery, criminal use of a communication facility, and conspiracy, was sentenced to 16 to 32 years in state prison, authorities said.

The investigation revealed details about the events leading up to Lyals’ death, including multiple calls between Lyals and Wilson, and numerous calls and text messages between Wilson and Clark in the hours before and after the murder.

Clark and Wilson had gone to Truman Street that night specifically to rob Lyals after hearing he had money. During the robbery, Clark shot and killed Lyals.

Authorities determined Lyals was shot at 12:45 a.m. on July 27, 2016, immediately after stepping outside his cousin's residence where he had been celebrating his birthday.

During the sentencing hearing, the victim’s loved ones gave powerful impact statements

“The night that they took my son, they took a part of me with them," Lyals' mother said during the sentencing hearing.