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GREENSBORO — A Greensboro man will spend at least the next 41 years in prison after admitting to killing a woman, tying her up and setting her body on fire, a judge ruled Monday.

Guilford County Superior Court Judge Andy Cromer sentenced 25-year-old Donnie Lee Ingram for killing 61-year-old Marie Byrd on Nov. 25, 2008.

Byrd was found dead in her duplex at 1918-A E. Market St. after neighbors reported not seeing her for several days.

Police saw the woman’s body inside the home from a window and obtained a search warrant, according to records read in court Monday.

Byrd’s legs and wrists were tied with shoelaces. The bed had been set on fire, and the woman’s body was severely burned.

DNA tests matched that of Ingram, whose DNA had been entered in a nationwide database after a felony conviction. The case had gone cold up to that point.

Ingram admitted to police he killed Byrd after an argument over the purchase of crack cocaine, prosecutor Veronica Edmisten told the court.

At some point before the woman’s death, the two had sexual intercourse, which led to the recovery of the DNA evidence. A toxicology report did not find any traces of cocaine in the woman's system.

Defense attorneys asked for leniency. They brought in a forensic psychologist who testified that Ingram is mentally disabled and did not intend to kill Byrd.

Dr. Ginger Calloway testified that Ingram knew the difference between right and wrong but suffered from the inability to reason and think things through.

In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors reduced his murder charge from first- to second-degree and dismissed a rape charge, along with an unrelated minor offense.

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com