ABBEVILLE, Ala. (WDHN) — A murder suspect agreed to a reduced charge on Monday morning in a Henry County Courtroom.

Bruce Weems was set to start a murder trial in Abbeville. He is accused of killing a father of 5 Willie Davis Jr. in 2021.

Then according to police led law enforcement on a four-hour manhunt before he was finally arrested.

Now instead of a trial, Weems reached a plea deal. The deal reduced his murder charge to manslaughter and will spend 20 years in prison.

“It would have been nice of the District Attorney to let us know that they had even offered a plea,” Davis Jr.’s sister, Victoria Calhoun said. “We never even knew that was on the table. So it’s a feeling of being relieved that there was justice served, but at the same time we were hoping that he would be charged with what he deserved which is murder.”

Police say Davis Jr. was shot multiple times by Weems

At the time of the shooting Davis Jr. was living with his girlfriend at the Girard Court Apartments in Abbeville. His girlfriend’s daughter was in a relationship with Weems.

The loss of Davis Jr. still gets to the family.

“I just had a birthday recently and he used to be one of the first people to call me,” Calhoun said. “So this is the second year in a row of not getting that birthday call or birthday message with him screaming and him being all excited.”

Weems has had prior run-ins with the law. On September 28 of 2021, police say he was arrested for shooting into an occupied residence but later bonded out of jail a week later, which still bugs Davis Jr.’s family.

“Knowing that this guy had just recently gotten charges for shooting a gun into an occupied complex and we can’t help but still keep thinking had he stayed in jail when that happened our brother would still be alive,” Calhoun said.

Calhoun says Davis Jr. will be remembered as a kind spirit and someone who would do anything for anyone.