A late-night argument in South Memphis has now locked a local man away for more than two decades. On Tuesday, 56-year-old James Sherman was sentenced to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in a February 2022 stabbing that left another man dead. Authorities say Sherman admitted he stabbed the victim following an argument at an apartment on the 200 block of Bond Avenue, where officers later found the man with multiple stab wounds after a pre-dawn call.
According to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, Sherman entered a guilty plea and received the 22-year sentence on Tuesday. As reported by WREG, the plea and punishment were formalized in court that day, closing out a case that had been winding through the system since early 2022.
What officers found
When Memphis police arrived at the apartment on Bond Avenue in the early morning hours, they found a man suffering from multiple stab wounds, according to reporting at the time by Action News 5. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene just minutes after officers got there. Early coverage included details from an affidavit that laid out what responding officers observed inside the apartment.
Defendant's initial statements
WREG reported that Sherman initially told police he woke up and found the victim unresponsive on a couch. During later questioning, however, he admitted that he stabbed the man after an argument. The District Attorney’s announcement of the sentence referenced that admission as part of its summary of the case.
Background and prior charges
Earlier reporting from Action News 5 noted that Sherman had previously faced three counts of aggravated assault tied to an August 2019 incident, which prosecutors and investigators reviewed during the 2022 probe. With his guilty plea now entered and the 22-year sentence handed down, prosecutors say the case is resolved.
