A Shelby man involved in a December 2007 murder was sentenced on Thursday. Aaron Evans learned his fate for the role he played in the killing of James Jardine.

The Toole County Sheriff’s Department logged more than 1,000 hours working on the investigation. They say Jardine died after he was brutally beaten by Clyde Cosner and Tracey Evans.

Aaron Evans says he didn't participate in the beating, but instead watched on as his brother and Cosner kicked and stomped Jardine until he was unconscious. Aaron then helped the two men cover up the murder. He helped put the victim in his own truck, drove it to the edge of a cliff near Shelby and then watched on as the truck was pushed over the edge. Evans also admits to providing a staple gun used in the assault and then hiding it after the attack.

The fight began after the trio served an eviction notice to the victim- - who was living with Evan’s sister-in-law. Tracey Evans committed suicide days after the incident, and the other man involved, Clyde Cosner, plead guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 80 years in prison, with 40 of those years suspended.

Aaron Evans was sentenced to 20 years with the Department of Corrections. He will serve four years with at the Billings Pre-Release Center and then will spend the next 16 years on probation.