Campbell pleads guilty in Sekse murder

• Robert W. Campbell pleaded guilty Friday in the murder of Michael Sekse during March 2012.
• Campbell also pleaded guilty to two conspiracy to commit robbery felony charges.
• Prosecutor Michael Shipman requested a maximum sentence of 135 years in prison.
• Campbell: “I don’t want to be thought of as an animal.”

The last of five co-defendants pleaded guilty Friday to the March 2012 murder of Richmond resident Michael Sekse.

Robert W. Campbell, 20, also pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, one a Class A felony and one a Class B felony, during a hearing before Judge Charles K. Todd and about 25 observers in Wayne County Superior Court I.

Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:45 p.m. on Feb. 6.

Wayne County Prosecutor Michael Shipman requested Campbell receive the maximum sentence for each count and to serve the sentences consecutively. Defense attorney Jeffrey Arnold pushed for concurrent sentences that were less than the maximum.

Sentencing range for the murder charge is 45 to 65 years in prison. The range for the Class A felony is 20 to 50 years, with the range for the Class B felony six to 20 years.

“Maximum consecutive sentences are for the worst of the worst,” Shipman told the judge. “I think this qualifies.”

Campbell admitted in court to shooting Sekse on March 20, 2012, during a robbery in a shed behind a Sheridan Street home. Shipman pointed out the pathology report identified the gunshot wound as the most immediate cause of Sekse’s death. Sekse was being stabbed by Campbell’s co-defendants when he was shot.

Jonathan Gray, David E. Lady, Montell Westfall and Matthew Allen all have been convicted in connection with the robbery and killing and are all serving prison time.

After his plea Friday, Campbell was given an opportunity to speak. He said he knew he had caused a lot of pain for Sekse’s family and friends.

“I don’t want to be thought of as an animal,” he said.

Sekse’s widow, Beth Drook-Sekse, also addressed the court and Campbell.

“You are an animal and a coward,” she said, looking at Campbell. “I hope you worry and wonder every day in prison who’s going to stab you in the back.”

Arnold painted Campbell as someone who had a difficult childhood, where he was beaten and his parents divorced. Arnold also asked Campbell about the hardship of missing his two children while he’s incarcerated and about mental health issues. He also pointed out Campbell has been a drug user and drug dealer.

Shipman refuted those points, saying many people have difficult childhoods and do not end up shooting another individual. He asked Campbell about the care his children are receiving, and Campbell admitted his hardship is similar to all incarcerated parents. Shipman also pointed out Campbell does not have a mental illness, and he said selling drugs should be an aggravating circumstance, not a mitigating factor.

Campbell testified he killed Sekse on impulse when the robbery got out of control and that he was accepting responsibility for his actions.

Shipman noted Campbell, a friend of Sekse’s, devised the plan to rob Sekse, called Sekse to lure him to Sheridan Street, organized the group of co-defendants, took a gun to the shed, identified Sekse and led him from his truck to the shed.

“Because of that relationship, Mike was killed,” Shipman said.

Shipman added that Campbell concealed Sekse’s body and distributed some of the stolen money to his co-defendants, which he said does not indicate accepting responsibility.

Shipman listed other aggravating factors, such as Campbell’s history of violent crimes from age 9; disciplinary sanctions from Campbell’s time in the Wayne County Jail; and engaging three juveniles as his co-defendants.

Gray is serving a 90-year sentence, and Shipman said Campbell deserved more, asking for the maximum 135 years total.

“Why does he deserve more?” Shipman said. “Because he was the main culprit. He’s the most culpable of all the co-defendants.”

Staff writer Mike Emery: (765) 973-4466 or mwemery@pal-item.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PI_Emery.