Two suspects pleaded guilty on Friday to charges of felony murder and aggravated assault in the beating death of an elderly Bowdon man.

Amanda Noel Robinson, 20, was sentenced to life in prison plus 40 years to be served concurrently. James Tyrone Swann, 31, was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years to be served consecutively. Assistant District At torney Adam P. Taylor, who served as lead prosecutor for both defendants, said Swann is still awaiting trial on a separate murder charge in Maryland.

The two pleaded separately before Carroll County Superior Court Judge Dennis Blackmon.

Julian Lovvorn Spruill was found beaten at his home last November, and he died 10 days later.

Robinson, who will turn 21 in December, is the former wife of one of Spruill’s grandsons with whom she reportedly had a child.

Spruill’s son, Randy Spruill, found his 80-year-old father, choked and beaten at his home on Highway 100 South in Bowdon on Nov. 11, 2007.

“My dad, Julian Spruill, and I had a close, close father/son relationship,” said Randy Spruill in a prepared statement read before the court. “We checked on each other every day, faithfully.”

After 10 days in the hospital, Julian Spruill died on Nov. 21. Family members who visited Julian Spruill in the hospital said his injuries were so severe that his face was barely recognizable.

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office got its first lead in the case on Nov. 26, 2007, when Sgt. Marc Griffith was contacted by the Roanoke, Ala., Police Department in reference to an abandoned Acura stolen during a robbery/homicide case in Prince George’s County, Md. The investigation eventually led officers to Robinson and Swann, and both suspects were arrested in Maryland on Nov. 30.

Taylor summed up the case before the court on Friday. Taylor said that on Nov. 11, 2007, Robinson and Swann, who had traveled from Maryland to Roanoke, Ala., told witnesses they were going to drive to a town in Georgia to “rob an old man.”

Witnesses said the two returned to Roanoke with four firearms and reportedly bragged about having beaten an elderly man. Robinson and Swann allegedly stole a small amount of cash from Julian Spruill.

Based on witness statements and confessions from Robinson and Swann, an altercation occurred when Robinson entered Julian Spruill’s home. Julian Spruill was reportedly knocked to the ground, struck in the head repeatedly with a blunt object and then choked.

As Robinson sat in the courtroom awaiting her sentencing Friday, members of Julian Spruill’s family made witness impact statements and gave recommendations as to how they believed Robinson and Swann should be sentenced. Robinson had tears in her eyes and held the hand of Public Defender Suellen Flemming as the statements were read.

One of Julian Spruill’s two brothers, Winford Spruill, told Blackmon that his life and the lives of everyone in his family were forever changed by Julian Spruill’s death.

Winford Spruill said that he was accustomed to spending lots of time with his brother.

“Now that Julian is gone, there is nothing to take his place,” he said.

Jim Bennett, the husband of Julian Spruill’s sister, Gladys Bennett, described Julian Spruill as a self-sufficient man who was always willing to lend money to those in need. Bennett told Blackmon that if Robinson had simply asked Julian Spruill for the money, she probably would have received it.

“The guilt here belongs on Amanda’s shoulders because she is the one who knew Julian and brought the other accused suspect to him,” Bennett said. “Without her, we’d still have Julian.”

Julian Spruill’s sister-in-law, Kathleen Spruill, read a letter from one of Julian Spruill’s granddaughters, Mekia Womack, in which Womack described the pain of having her children learn of their great-grandfather’s violent death.

“To know that he came to such a violent end was awful,” Womack wrote.

Each of the family members who spoke thanked the Sheriff’s Office and the Carroll County District Attorney’s Office for bringing Robinson and Swann to justice. Taylor said he was glad to bring the case to a close for Julian Spruill’s family.

“I’m really glad we’ve been able to resolve this case today, that these two individuals have been sentenced to spend their natural lives in prison,” Taylor said. “I’m glad the family will finally be able to put this behind them.”

Carroll County Sheriff Terry Langley said that investigation was key in identifying Robinson and Swann as suspects in this case and that Friday’s sentencings will be a relief to Julian Spruill’s family.

“This is a very good family, and I think they’ve suffered a lot from this crime,” he said.

Randy Spruill said after the sentencings that he is glad the case has been resolved after what his family has been through.

“I thank the Lord for justice,” he said.