Marquan Banks is escorted out of a courtroom in February after his preliminary hearing. Banks, 26, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder for killing a man in Norristown. Read more Vinny Vella / Staff

by Vinny Vella Published Sept. 29, 2025, 2:44 p.m. ET

A Chester Township man who told investigators he fatally shot an man in self-defense outside a Norristown bar has been sentenced to 18 to 36 years in state prison.

Marquan Banks, 26, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder on Thursday, preempting his scheduled trial next week on a first-degree murder charge.

Banks’ attorney, Brooks Thompson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Assistant District Attorney Samantha Cauffman initially said Banks shot Jermaine Pierce, 37, on Jan. 11, carrying out a planned exec

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