A 26-year-old Warren man was sentenced Monday to 31 years in prison for killing his friend and roommate then hiding his body.

Donald D. Renfroe also received an additional two years for felony-firearm possession from Macomb Circuit Judge Anthony Servitto for the shooting death of James Wilkins 28, inside their unit at Warren Regency Apartments off Groesbeck Highway off Frahzo Road.

Renfroe was originally charged with first-degree, premeditated murder but pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and other charges in a deal with Macomb prosecutors and reached a sentencing deal with the Servitto. First-degree murder carries a mandatory penalty of life without parole.

Judge Servitto denied Renfroe’s request to withdraw his plea. Renfroe could withdraw his plea if the judge reneged on the sentencing agreement or there was some other extenuating circumstance such as it was done under coercion, the judge said.

Wilkins’ father, Reginald Edwards, who said he was “almost 60 years old,” described the impact the loss of his son on family in his victim-impact statement over Zoom video. Edwards’ grandchildren, who are Wilkins’ children, constantly ask him, “Why, papa, why?” he said.

“You can’t imagine, judge, how this has affected our family,” Edwards said as he choked up. “We tried to get through July Fourth as a family. It’s been very hard for us as a family to grasp with the fact that our son is gone. I’m not supposed to bury my son; he’s supposed to bury me.”

A woman who appeared distraught through much of the hearing on Zoom was not identified.

Renfroe declined to make a statement.

His attorney, Jeffrey Cocojar, said his client is “very sorry for what happened,” and “no reason can justify what happened.”

Servitto said a parent’s loss of a child is “the ultimate tragedy.”

He acknowledged nothing he can say can change what happened but said he hoped the sentencing “will bring closure to you and your family.”

Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Danielle Strace agreed it was a “senseless and devastating act” as they two men had been “friends for a long time.”

Renfroe also admitted to tampering with evidence and concealing a body. Wilkins went missing June 8, 2023, but his body wasn’t discovered until November 2023 at a campground in Oscoda.

Renfroe was charged with first-degree murder in August 2023.

Renfroe’s friend and former Home Depot co-worker, Darius Glenn, who was also arrested at that time and charged with tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact to a felony, testified at a preliminary examination in April 2024 in 37th District Court in exchange for a deal in his case.

Glenn said Renfroe told him he wanted to buy and gun and kill Wilkens because the two were members of rival gangs in the past and he heard Wilkins had a hit out on him. He planned to preemptively kill Wilkens, Glenn added. Renfroe also allegedly told Glenn he was upset by Wilkins flirting with his girlfriend and said he wanted to defend her honor.

Renfroe allegedly told Glenn he also wanted to impress his uncle, who was a drug dealer in Ohio and he aspired to move to Columbus and work for him.

“He said right now he is a soldier, but if he did that he would be a lieutenant,” Glenn testified, adding he tried to talk Renfroe out of the act.

“The whole plan just seemed kind of crazy,” he said.

Renfroe stated he would “punch out” from his Home Depot job, go to their residence and kill Wilkins, and return to work, Glenn said.

Glenn is scheduled to be sentenced July 23 by Servitto.

About 10 supporters of Renfroe, including his mother, attended the hearing.