Clyde Ewing was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole this afternoon following his first-degree murder conviction in the death of Samuel Johns.

Ewing was sentenced by 2nd District Judge Jay Gaskill at the Nez Perce County Courthouse in Lewiston. Ewing was charged and convicted in the shooting death of Samuel Johns on Jan. 8, 2021, along with his son, Demetri Ewing, who was 16 years old at the time of the shooting.

Ewing maintained his innocence in court during today's proceedings and said he was wrongly convicted by the jury.

Clyde Ewing was convicted May 21 in a first-degree murder trial that lasted for five days. Demetri Ewing, now 17, was convicted of first-degree murder April 22 after a nine-day trial. He has a status conference scheduled for Jan. 19.

During Clyde Ewing's trial, the prosecution presented its case that the Ewings planned to rob or burglarize the Johns home at 1706 Seventh Ave., in Lewiston, over Clyde Ewing's "obsession" with a missing Army bag that belonged to his late father, which he believed was in the residence. The Ewings rode bicycles from where they were living at the Hacienda Lodge in Clarkston to the Johns home. The Ewings, wearing dark clothing, entered the home and Johns was shot twice. The two fled the scene on the bicycles back to the Hacienda Lodge and were taken into custody in the days following the investigation.

The trial was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic before taking place in May. Prosecutors had more than 100 items of evidence connecting the Ewings to the murder including DNA evidence, fingerprint analysis, zip ties, tape and video surveillance. The gun used in the shooting was never found.

A 12-member jury deliberated for two hours to reach the guilty verdict. The jury also had to option to convict Clyde Ewing on a lesser charge of second-degree murder or various manslaughter charges, but found him guilty of the initial charge of first-degree murder.

See Friday's Tribune for more on this story.