A man accused of the shooting of a Copiah County store clerk cuta deal Wednesday to avoid the death penalty after being foundguilty of capital murder, authorities said.

Arthur Lestrick, 29, who has ties in Monticello, Jackson andHazlehurst, was accused of entering the Gallman Stuckey’s onFebruary 6, where he shot Shiva Behal, 18, of Brookhaven in thechest after Behal refused to give him money from the register.

Copiah County Sheriff Harold Jones said the jury found Lestrickguilty of the murder, and were preparing to deliberate on whetherto sentence him to death or to life in prison. However, Lestrickentered a plea deal that gave him life in prison without parole,Jones said.

“The D.A.’s office did an excellent job on the case, but(Lestrick) got scared and came back and pled guilty,” Jones said.”And that carries life without parole.”

Behal’s family lives on Virginia Avenue in Brookhaven, and hisfather Mike owns several gas stations in the area. The youngerBehal had been living in an apartment in the back of the Stuckey’s,which his family had just purchased about a month before theshooting.

“This happened on February 6, and he is finally on his way tothe state penitentiary today,” Jones said.