Antuan Parker, left, talks with his attorney Jeff Goodman prior to Wednesday’s sentencing hearing.

WARREN — A Warren man will serve a life sentence with the first chance at parole coming after he serves 42 to 47 1/2 years in prison for the murder of a 32-year-old woman.

Antuan Parker, 44, who was convicted Jan. 13 of eight felonies by a Trumbull County jury, said nothing as he was sentenced by Common Pleas Judge Cynthia Rice, who also labeled him a violent offender and arson offender. Parker refused to sign the notification paperwork for those labels, which also came with a specification that a firearm was used to perpetrate the crime..

Rice said consecutive sentences for Parker were necessary to protect the public.

Parker was convicted of purposeful murder, two counts of having weapons under disability, two counts of tampering with evidence, two counts of aggravated arson and abuse of a corpse. Jurors took about 3 1/2 hours to deliberate to end the four-day trial.

Parker was convicted of shooting Desirae Boss in the face and then dumping her body.

Testimony at trial showed Boss’ body was found in October 2021 in a wooded area off of Choctaw Avenue in Warren after a five-day search, after she was reported missing by her mother. Parker also was convicted of setting fire to his Oak Street home just two days after Boss’ body was found.

Parker and Boss were friends, according to the testimony, and frequent drug users.

At the sentencing hearing, Boss’ mother, Denise Code, delivered a tearful tribute to her daughter. She also thanked assistant Prosecutor Charles Morrow, members of the prosecutor’s victims assistance office, and Warren police for their work in helping convict Parker.

Code called Boss “her sidekick.”

“I have a hole in my heart. No amount of time will ever heal my heart,” the mother said as she began her victim’s impact statement. She said it is hard to explain to her young granddaughter why this happened.

Code also said her daughter was a joyful, happy person who had a heart of gold.

“She made everyone around her smile,” she said. “She was a proud little lady. I miss her, my baby, and I love her. I don’t think I will ever get over this.”

In calling Parker a dangerous person, Code said she tried to keep her daughter away from him.

“I tried to keep her away from harm, but I couldn’t. He took my Desirae from me for no reason,” Code said. “I hope he never sees freedom again.”

Rice, in pronouncing sentence, said the defendant is likely to commit future crime based on his criminal record.

“He also shows no remorse and no acceptance of responsibility,” the judge said.

In a memorandum filed with the court Monday, Assistant Prosecutor Charles Morrow called Parker “a career criminal who has committed the most serious of offenses. Morrow had asked for a 55-year to life sentence.

After the sentencing hearing, Morrow said he was “very pleased with this sentence, which should ensure that this murderer and career criminal is never released from prison.”

Morrow stated that Parker had been charged criminally 29 times since he was 18 years old in July 1996. The charges have resulted in 16 guilty findings, which included nine prison terms of lengths from eight months to 16 years.

Morrow also credited the work of Warren police, the fire department, the state fire marshal’s office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations. He also thanked those who testified at trial.

Parker’s attorney, Jeff Goodman, also did not comment during the hearing.