Trevor Cantrell

A Limestone County judge has denied a request for youthful-offender status from one of the men accused of capital murder in the 2016 shooting death of a Madison teenager at a Sonic restaurant.

Circuit Judge Robert Baker on Thursday denied the request of Trevor Davis Cantrell, 19, of Madison, who was 18 at the time of the shooting. Had the court granted the request, Cantrell would have qualified for a lesser sentence if convicted of the crime. Cantrell’s attorneys, Jake Watson and Dan Totten, had filed the request.

Cantrell and Dacedric Deshun Ward, 22, also of Madison, are accused in the Dec. 26 shooting of 18-year-old Jason Ender West in the Sonic parking lot in Madison. According to court records, West had gone to the location about 3 p.m. to buy Xanax from Ward and Cantrell. The two men intended to rob West, but Ward pulled a gun and shot West, who died a short time later at Huntsville Hospital.

West was a senior at James Clemens High School at the time. He had completed his coursework and was a mid-year graduate intending to head to college.

Baker based his decision on several factors, according to a court document, which read: “The Court having considered the investigation report submitted by the probation officer, Nathan Barnes, and further after a consideration of all the facts of the case and the testimony offered at the hearing, orders that defendant’s application for youthful offender status is hereby denied.”

Cantrell’s trial will be scheduled at a later date.

A Dec. 11 trial date has been tentatively set for Ward. He could choose to enter a guilty plea on Dec. 1 in exchange for a lesser sentence.

Both Cantrell and Ward have entered pleas of not guilty to capital murder — robbery and capital murder — shooting from a vehicle.