How Many Years Can You Get for Manslaughter in Huntsville?
Quick answer: Both selected Huntsville manslaughter cases imposed twenty-year split sentences, but their active-custody components differed. Darby received credit for time already served and three years of probation; Howard was ordered to serve five years followed by three years of probation. Twenty years imposed does not mean twenty years of immediate imprisonment. This small selected sample is not an average or a prediction.
- Lowest observed: 20 years
- Highest observed: 20 years
- Completed independent cases reviewed: 2
- Range-eligible cases: 2
- Sentence format: imposed split sentences
- Evidence reviewed: September 9, 2026
Observed Huntsville case evidence
| Case | Exact Huntsville offense location evidence | Conviction | Final sentence | Target-offense sentence used | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Ben Darby | City of Huntsville statement and WAFF identify the April 3, 2018 shooting at a Deramus Avenue home in Huntsville; residence of defendant is not used as the location proof. | Manslaughter (guilty plea) | 20-year split sentence; credit for time already served, three years probation and no additional immediate prison term reported after the October 2023 plea; appeal waived. | 20-year imposed split manslaughter sentence; active-custody component separately described | Primary case source; Supporting source 1 |
| Russell Howard Jr. | WAFF's contemporaneous death-investigation report identifies the Regia Drive Huntsville shooting of Jamie Howard; the location is not inferred from court venue or residence alone. | Manslaughter (guilty plea) | 20-year split sentence, including five years active imprisonment and three years probation, imposed after the March 2025 guilty plea. | 20-year imposed split manslaughter sentence; five years active imprisonment | Primary case source; Supporting source 1 |
Why these outcomes are included
Both reported guilty pleas impose a 20-year split sentence specifically for manslaughter at exact Huntsville offense locations. Active custody differs and must not be substituted for the imposed-term range. The observed value is the 20-year imposed manslaughter sentence in each case. Active custody and probation components are disclosed separately and are not substituted for the imposed term.
Observed range is not the statutory range
The observed range comes only from the small selected public-record sample shown above. It is not a statutory minimum or maximum, an average, a typical sentence, a prediction, a plea estimate, or a citywide distribution. The law in effect on the offense date, conviction count, criminal history, enhancements, plea terms and other case-specific facts can change an outcome.
Sentence-scope and location rules
Only a final sentence assigned to the target offense or target count is used. Unallocated multi-offense totals, codefendants from one prosecution, nonfinal matters and noncomparable sentence types are excluded rather than estimated. Each retained offense occurred inside Huntsville; residence, arrest, courthouse, county or prosecutor-office connections alone were not used as city proof. Federal and Alabama state/local outcomes are not mixed.
Methodology and disclaimer
Read the methodology, editorial standards, and the Huntsville sentencing hub. This page provides general information and is not legal advice.