Man pleads guilty to class 1 felony related to Carbondale police officer shooting

By Nehemiah Abla, Staff Reporter
October 28, 2019

A Wichita man pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy in relation to a 2016 shooting of a Carbondale police officer.

In a press release from State’s Attorney Michael Carr, Matthew D. Manley was sentenced to nine years in prison on July 31, 2016 in connection to the shooting of Carbondale police officer Trey Harris.

Harris was shot in the eye while in a car chase after he responded to the sound of gunshots. The shooter was sentenced to over 27 years in prison in November 2018, according to the release.

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Manley entered negotiations on Monday where he pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to deliver more than 5,000 grams of a substance containing cannabis, which is a class 1 felony.

As part of this guilty plea, Manley has also agreed to cooperate in the ongoing prosecution of the shooting.

This investigation and prosecution is still ongoing with the combined efforts of eight law enforcement departments including the Illinois State Police, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Carbondale Police Department.

Staff reporter Nehemiah Abla can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @AblaNehemiah.

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