Statements made at Monday sentencing
Dixon, victim\'s family address court
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HOUGHTON -- Former Houghton County attorney Evan Andrew Dixon was sentenced Monday to 18 to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder in the November 2023 shooting death of Theron Darrell Duncan.
Dixon, 62, entered a no-contest plea in June to the charge stemming from the fatal shooting inside the Douglass House Saloon in downtown Houghton. In exchange, initial charges of first-degree murder and felony firearms were dismissed.
The sentencing hearing, overseen by Marquette County Circuit Court Judge Matthew Wiese following the recusal of local judges, featured an address from Dixon, who had previously remained quiet throughout prior proceedings.
"I have been alone in a cement box for the last two-and-a-half years, in the Houghton County Jail, thinking and praying and trying to solve this," Dixon said. "At the last hearing we were at, the court asked for some explanation from the prosecutor."
Dixon described a scenario where two men entered a bar, fought, and one shot the other. He expressed profound remorse for the death of Duncan, 53, emphasizing their close friendship, Duncan’s recent battle with cancer, and his own ongoing confusion.
"I was not in my right mind, nor was he that night, but that doesn't explain why," Dixon said. "And I think I must be insane, because I couldn't imagine -- I thought I had woken up in another alternate universe. The thought that I would kill Theron seemed incredible to me. I can't explain what happened, but I know I'm not insane."
Dixon stated that Duncan was his good friend and that he never harbored any ill will toward him.
"I'm so sorry," Dixon said. "To Theron's mother especially, because I know what it's like to lose a son and not be able to say goodbye. And that just doesn't seem natural for your child to die before you, to be taken away from you."
Dixon described his friendship with Duncan, recounting memories of canoeing, hiking, and walking their dogs together. He also spoke regarding Duncan’s cancer treatments.
"He smiled through all of that, going to treatments, his doctor appointments, testings, evaluations and consultations,” Dixon said. “He never complained about it."
Dixon clarified to the court that he was not asking for judicial mercy. "I don't want to be a part of this anymore and I am at the end," he said. "Any sentence that you are likely to impose is a de facto life sentence for me anyway, given my age and condition."
Dixon added that earlier on the day of the shooting, he had picked Duncan up from a medical appointment.
"He said it was not good, that they couldn't do anything more, that he was going to die," Dixon said.
Following Dixon’s statement, the court permitted Duncan's mother, Helen Galang, to deliver a victim impact statement.
"You killed my son," Galang told Dixon. "You about killed me, too. I thought I was going to lose my mind."
Galang described praying that God take her life to spare her the intense pain.
"But He wouldn't take me," she said, adding that she could no longer watch television or stand the sound of a gunshot. "I don't know when, but I found God is a comforter, because I don't see that in my mind -- as much -- anymore."
She shared that she no longer receives daily text messages from Duncan, a routine that stopped abruptly the day he died. "The last text in my phone was on November 13, on that morning," Galang said. "Then in the afternoon, he texts me again. My last text was telling him how much I miss him."
In response to Dixon's comments about not being able to say goodbye, Galang addressed the suddenness of it all. "It does hurt not being able to say goodbye to your child. It hurts, because I can't imagine what he was thinking. Even when you pulled a gun on him, he probably thought you were playing with him."
Duncan's daughter, Chinea Duncan, also addressed the court via Zoom, describing her father's deep devotion to his family.
"My dad always came home, and he loved coming home to be there for my son’s football games. I will always cherish the way he called me mama and the love he showed us,” she said. “Losing my father has left a pain in my heart that I will carry for the rest of my life. I am hurt, and there are times I still find myself crying because I miss him so much. He was my only dad.
“He was a loving grandfather to my three children, and my unborn child will grow up knowing about the grandpa who loved our family dearly,” Chinea Duncan said. “So, dad, I love you and I miss you, and I will forever carry you in my heart. You will never be forgotten."
Judge Wiese ordered Dixon to pay $14,000 in restitution to Duncan's family to cover funeral costs. Dixon was given credit for 1,023 days already served in jail.