CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Santanna Antonio Compton McFarlan, 23, was sentenced Wednesday to serve four years for the 2023 shooting death of Jarlen Corbin outside of Dodge’s on Fort Campbell Boulevard.
McFarlan was found guilty of reckless homicide March 3 following a jury trial. He had been charged with first-degree murder, but was convicted of the lesser-included homicide charge. His co-defendants, 24-year-old Otis Lee Barnes and 31-year-old Maleike Tyree Hamlin, were convicted of first-degree murder and immediately sentenced to life in prison.
How 2023 Dodge’s shooting unfolded
As previously reported by Clarksville Now, on Jan. 28, 2023, at around 4:56 a.m., Clarksville Police responded to a shooting at Dodge’s, 1504 Fort Campbell Blvd.
Corbin, 29, was found outside the store with multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the chest. He was initially set to be flown by LifeFlight helicopter to Nashville but was instead taken to Tennova Healthcare Clarksville due to the severity of his injuries. He was later pronounced dead.
Shortly after the shooting, two other men – Barnes and Hamlin – arrived at Tennova with gunshot wounds. Both were charged in Corbin’s death. McFarlan was arrested in December 2023.
At trial, bystander and military veteran Christopher Cosby testified he was walking out of Dodge’s when gunfire erupted. He said he believed Corbin’s life was in danger, so he drew his gun and returned fire.
Officers testified that when Corbin was found, he was holding a gun with his finger “still on the trigger,” and the weapon had malfunctioned. Lead investigator Sgt. Benjamin Goble walked jurors through surveillance video showing Barnes, Hamlin and McFarlan opening fire on Corbin in the moments before he collapsed.
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Victim’s mother: “This has broken me”
Corbin’s mother, Dequita Corbin, told the court her son’s death has devastated their family. She said he left behind five siblings, as well as extended family, and described the difficulties they have faced since his death. “It has left a tremendous hole in our hearts,” she said. “As a mother, each day is a battle.”
“This has broken me,” she said. “Our family is torn apart because of this.”
She held up a picture of her family through tears, then tore the picture up. “You tore us apart,” she said, sobbing. “You took him away from us. … I know he doesn’t matter to you, but he mattered to us. He mattered to me … Jarlen Corbin mattered.”
Defendant’s siblings: ‘He wants to turn his life around’
McFarlan’s brother, San Elmore, asked the court for leniency. He said he had cleared a room in his Georgia home for McFarlan and was prepared to help him get a job in construction, secure transportation and transition back into the community. Elmore told the court he was willing to take responsibility for helping his brother follow the court’s conditions.
McFarlan’s twin sister, Santianna McFarlan, told the court the family had been working on a plan to support him if he were granted probation. She said she had requested a job transfer to Georgia so she and other relatives could help him stay on track. She said McFarlan had been “depressed” and had taken accountability for his actions.
McFarlan apologizes to victim’s mother
McFarlan gave a statement before sentencing, apologizing to Corbin’s mother. “I just want her to know if I could go back and change what I did, I promise I would,” he said. “At that point in time, I was honestly young and scared. I swear I never meant for none of this to happen.”
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“It breaks my heart knowing that I’m one of the reasons she’s going through that pain,” he said. “I’m so sorry,” he said.
He told the court he wants to be present in his child’s life and plans to move to Georgia after his release, saying he wants to leave his past behind.
“I just want to be a father in my child’s life,” he said. “My plan is to go to Georgia when I get out and change my life for the better. … I want to be better for myself and my child.”
Prosecution: McFarlan showed ‘no hesitation’
Chief Deputy District Attorney General Marianne Bell pointed to McFarlan’s prior misdemeanors and traffic violation history, including failures to appear. She said those cases showed a pattern of ignoring court obligations. “That’s a pattern of criminal behavior,” she said. “Traffic laws are laws just like any other law.”
Bell noted that gunpowder residue was found in McFarlan’s vehicle, and he fled the scene after the shooting. She also referenced ballistic evidence presented at trial.
“He had no hesitation about committing a crime when the risk to human life was high,” she said.
Bell said McFarlan and his two co-defendants “surrounded the victim,” shooting him in a public parking lot by the gas pumps. “Mr. McFarlan continued shooting even after the victim had fallen to the ground,” she said, adding that granting probation would not fit the seriousness of the offense.
Defense: ‘He is a good candidate for probation’
Attorney Stephanie Mize argued the state’s reference to traffic and animal control citations was not consequential. “I don’t think any of those charges in any way establishes a criminal history,” she said.
Mize emphasized McFarlan has strong family support in Georgia and a plan in place to avoid negative influences. She pointed to his siblings’ testimony about housing, employment and supervision if he were released.
“There’s no question that Mr. McFarlan made some bad choices,” Mize said. “The jury found Mr. McFarlan to be less culpable and convicted him of reckless homicide.”
“There is nothing in this report to indicate that he would not be a good candidate for probation,” she said. “He has exhibited remorse. He has exhibited a plan for when he’s released.”
McFarlan sentenced to four years in prison
Judge Robert Bateman ordered McFarlan to serve four years at the Tennessee Department of Corrections. While reckless homicide is a Class D felony punishable by 2 to 12 years in prison, Tennessee law requires judges to sentence within the defendant’s offender range. As a Range I offender, McFarlan faced 2 to 4 years.
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