Marcus Durayalle Lofton is a Grand Rapids, Michigan man who was sentenced on August 7, 2025, to 25 to 50 years in prison for the second-degree murder of his wife, Alicia Danielle Lofton. He shot her 15 times inside their Union Avenue SE home on August 17, 2023, one day after she served him with divorce papers and returned her wedding ring.1MLive. Man Sentenced for Shooting Wife 15 Times
What Happened Inside the Home
The morning after Alicia handed him divorce papers, Lofton went to the couple’s home and argued with her. He told police he retrieved her pistol from a drawer and claimed he “tried to hit her with a handgun and it went off.”2WOOD TV. Mistrial Declared for Man Accused of Killing Wife Amid Divorce The physical evidence told a different story. Alicia retreated to another room and locked the door. Lofton forced it open. She was climbing out a window when he opened fire.
She was hit 15 times, including seven shots to the head, according to autopsy testimony from Dr. David Start, the deputy chief medical examiner for Kent County.3MLive. Autopsy: Wife Was Shot 7 Times in the Head After Serving Husband With Divorce Papers Alicia was 38 and a mother of three.4Fox 17 Online. Family Remembers Alicia Lofton, Woman Shot and Killed by Husband Lofton was arraigned the following day on open murder and felony firearm charges, which under Michigan law allowed a jury to convict on either first- or second-degree murder.5WWMT. Marcus Lofton Arraigned on Murder and Felony Firearm Charges
A Brief, Violent Marriage
Marcus and Alicia married in February 2023.4Fox 17 Online. Family Remembers Alicia Lofton, Woman Shot and Killed by Husband Three months later, in May 2023, Marcus was arrested on domestic violence charges for harming Alicia and ordered as a bond condition to have no contact with her.6Yahoo News. Mom of 3 Tried Escaping Window When Husband Shot Her The two continued to interact anyway. Alicia had kept the wedding a secret from her family because they disapproved of Marcus, her father Arthur Joseph later told the court.7MLive. Father Confronts Daughter’s Killer in Court About six months into the marriage, she filed for divorce.
Prosecutors said Lofton was furious about the split and about the fact that he stood to get no money from the sale of the couple’s home.8MLive. Man Killed Wife After She Filed for Divorce, Returned Wedding Ring, Prosecutor Says
The First Trial Ended in a Hung Jury
Lofton’s first trial opened on May 19, 2025, in Kent County Circuit Court. Prosecutors sought a first-degree murder verdict, arguing the killing was premeditated based on the divorce filing, the returned wedding ring, and Lofton’s anger over the property settlement.8MLive. Man Killed Wife After She Filed for Divorce, Returned Wedding Ring, Prosecutor Says
Lofton took the stand and said he “couldn’t hear” or “see” anything during the shooting, that “everything around me was blurry” and that he “had all this rage.” Defense attorney Jeff Kortes argued for a voluntary manslaughter verdict, saying Lofton “lost it” after being “beaten” and “broken down” by the relationship and had not arrived that morning intending to kill.9MLive. Jury Begins Deliberations in Husband’s Murder Trial for Wife’s Slaying
Jurors began deliberating the evening of May 21, 2025. By Friday, May 23, they told the court they could not reach a unanimous verdict, and the judge declared a mistrial.2WOOD TV. Mistrial Declared for Man Accused of Killing Wife Amid Divorce
The Guilty Plea and the Sentence
Rather than face a second trial, Lofton pleaded guilty in July 2025 to second-degree murder and a felony firearms charge, with the understanding that his minimum sentence for the murder would be 25 years.10Yahoo News. Man Gets Prison for Shooting Wife After She Filed for Divorce
On August 7, 2025, Judge Scott Noto imposed a sentence of 25 to 50 years for the second-degree murder count, plus a mandatory two-year sentence for the felony firearms charge that must be served first under Michigan law. Lofton received 721 days of credit for time already served.1MLive. Man Sentenced for Shooting Wife 15 Times10Yahoo News. Man Gets Prison for Shooting Wife After She Filed for Divorce He was 44 at the time of sentencing and will not be eligible for parole until his late 60s. Given the chance to speak, he told the court only, “No, your honor.”
Alicia’s Father in Court
Alicia’s father, Arthur Joseph, addressed Lofton directly at sentencing. He called him a “piece of garbage” and told the court he wished he could “serve justice” himself. Twenty-five years was not enough for him; he said he wished Lofton had received just a single day so that “justice could be served that way.”7MLive. Father Confronts Daughter’s Killer in Court