Columbus Man Sentenced to More Than 30 Years in Prison for Killing Potential Witnesses
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The second of two Columbus men who murdered, tortured, assaulted and intimidated people as part of their drug-distribution conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 365 months in prison.
Michael J. Favors, 27, of Columbus, was sentenced for conspiring to murder two potential witnesses and on related drug charges.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
Favors and Antwan L. Hutchinson, 28, were both indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2017.
According to court documents, Favors and Hutchinson possessed and distributed cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana.
As part of their drug conspiracy, they used “trap houses” that were in others’ names as locations to store and sell the drugs. This included using threats of force and using the homes of drug-addicted individuals.
It was further part of the conspiracy to intimidate, assault, threaten and torture individuals with serious physical harm who were perceived as owing money or drugs to the members of the conspiracy.
Favors pleaded guilty in November 2018 to his role in the murders of Sidney Campbell and Marie Stamp.
Specifically, Favors pleaded guilty to five counts as charged against him in the indictment, which include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, two counts of conspiracy to murder a witness, and two counts of murder through use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Favors accompanied Hutchinson in February 2017 to Sidney Campbell’s home after Hutchinson learned of Sidney Campbell’s son’s death. Hutchinson and others suspected the son, Cody Campbell, of allowing a trap house to be robbed, and in retaliation Hutchinson used a two-by-four to beat and extension cords to whip Cody Campbell, who died hours after the incident.
Sidney Campbell had witnessed the beating of her son. She and Marie Stamp were present in her house when Favors and Hutchinson fired their weapons, killing both potential witnesses.
Hutchinson and Favors were arrested on March 27, 2017 and have remained in custody.
Hutchinson was sentenced on Oct. 1 to life in prison with no chance of parole.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF and the Columbus Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David M. DeVillers and Jessica W. Knight who are prosecuting the case.
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