Darrius Sessoms will spend the rest of his life in prison without the chance for parole, as part of the deal to accept a guilty plea in the case.
In October of this year, a judge heard preliminary testimony for the case. The judge determined there was enough evidence for the case to go forward and for the death penalty to remain on the table as a possible sentence.
Investigators said Darius Sessoms, 25, shot and killed Hinnant on Aug. 9, 2020, in Wilson, North Carolina. The young boy was on his bike not far from his own front door when he was fatally shot.
Despite years passing, the motive behind the killing has remained unclear.
"I just don't understand why he did it," a neighbor said at the time. "How can you walk up to a little boy, point blank, and put a gun to his head and just shoot him? How could anyone do that?"
With this plea deal taken care of and the trial no longer pending, more details about the investigation and possible motive behind the murder may come to light in the near future.
WATCH | 'He meant the world to me': Family, friends honor life of Cannon Hinnant
Family, friends gather to honor the life of Cannon Hinnant, the 5-year-old boy who was shot and killed while riding bike in Wilson