A 25-year-old man convicted of shooting his friend in the mouth after his friend dared him to was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison on Friday.
Brock Myers, 25, and his friend, Steven Kohus, 26, had been out drinking in March 2014. Myers was playing around with a gun at a home on Saladin Avenue in Twentynine Palms when Kohus said he would give Myers a cigarette lighter if Myers put a gun in Kohus’s mouth and pulled the trigger.
The tragedy was witnessed and recalled by Jordan MacGregor during the trial, via Hi-Desert Star:
Jordan MacGregor testified that he saw Myers call from a distance to Kohus, who was already sitting in the truck behind the driver, asking for a lighter. When Kohus said “no,” Myers approached the vehicle and asked again.
Then Kohus said something along the lines of, “If you put that pistol in my mouth and pull the trigger I’ll give you this lighter,” MacGregor testified. Myers “took the pistol out of the holster and as he was pulling it out, he dropped the mag,” MacGregor said. Kohus stuck out his tongue. Myers then stuck the gun in Kohus’ mouth and pulled the trigger.
“His head fell back like he was punched in the throat then his eyes closed and his head fell forward and his chin hit his neck,” MacGregor said. “Then blood started pouring out of mouth.”
Myers then began screaming, “I killed my best friend, I killed my best friend,” MacGregor testified.
Both Myers and Kohus were corporals attached to 1st Battalion, 7th Marines.
Myers was sentenced to 15 years to life for the murder at the state prison in Chino for the murder. He was sentenced to an additional three years for using a gun.
