Man sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty in Columbia murder case

COLUMBIA, Miss. (WDAM) - A murder suspect was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty, according to the Fifteenth Circuit Court District Attorney’s Office.

District Attorney Hal Kittrell said 56-year-old Keith C. Sandidge pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his sister, 61-year-old Sherralann Longmire.

Circuit Judge Brad Touchstone sentenced Sandidge to 30 years in prison.

Under Mississippi law, a second-degree murder sentence is to be served without the possibility of parole or early release.

According to the D.A.’s Office, Longmire called the Columbia Police Department around 6:30 p.m. on May 20, 2022, to report that her brother was drunk and was destroying her property. Shortly into the call, three gunshots could be heard, and the call ended suddenly.

Officers responding to the scene at 414 Mary Street came under gunfire from the house. A perimeter was set up, with several law enforcement agencies ultimately responding.

Officers tried overnight to establish contact with Sandidge without success. During this time, Longmire’s body was discovered in the driver seat of her car that was parked near the door of the house from which Sandidge fired at responding officers.

Two Columbia police cars also received damage from gunfire.

Sandidge was taken into custody the following morning after being found hiding under the house, which police later determined he accessed through a passage under interior stairs.

A plea agreement was reached after consultation with Longmire’s family, who were present in court for the proceedings.

Sandidge also pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated assault on the responding law enforcement officers as well as one count of aggravated assault involving an off-duty officer from another department who lived nearby and came under fire when he responded to the shooting.

“The circumstances of Sherralann Longmire’s death just cannot be adequately explained or understood,” said Kittrell. “She was a supportive sister to the defendant, a nurse that brought comfort to the aging and gravely ill, and a valued community member. We are thankful to her family, with whose support and cooperation we were able to bring this case to a just conclusion.”

Kittrell thanked the Columbia Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Mississippi Highway Patrol S.W.A.T. team, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and all of the other agencies and officers that responded to this emergency.

The prosecution team included D.A. Investigator Ben White, Victim Services Specialist Lauren Robertson and prosecutor Beau Stewart.

Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Copyright 2024 WDAM. All rights reserved.