Garage murderer to learn fate

The only question left for Deon Powell is if he will die behind bars for killing Michael Jencsok in a drive-by shooting, or if he will have the chance to plead his case before a parole board after 25 years in prison.

Powell, 18, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder last month and will be sentenced by Judge Silvia Arellano Friday, March 28.

Police called the 2006 shooting a senseless, random drive-by murder.

Jencsok was just hanging out in his garage in the 5000 block of Paseo Way, talking on the telephone to a friend in Colorado, when Powell drove by with several friends. Police say they had burglarized a nearby home the night before and thought about robbing Jencsok. But when they saw him on the phone, they feared he was speaking to police.

Powell shot Jencsok once in the back. The 47-year-old crawled into his house and died on the floor as his hysterical wife, Deborah, attempted to perform CPR while waiting for the police.

Detectives initially were stumped, with no suspects or motives and few clues.

The break in the case came during a traffic stop a month later. Responding to a call about kids waving guns around, Tempe police pulled over a vehicle with Powell and three others. Inside they discovered three handguns, including Powell's .22-caliber gun that was eventually matched as the murder weapon.