Sherdavia Jenkins' Killer Found Guilty
Jurors reach a verdict in an emotional case
Damon Darling was found guilty of manslaughter Thursday in the tragic death of 9-year-old Sherdavia Jenkins, who was hit by a stray bullet while playing on her front porch in Liberty City in 2006.
Prosecutors told jurors the bullet that struck Jenkins in the neck was fired from Darling's AK-47 as he was locked in a shoot out with Leroy Larose in the Pork N Beans projects. Jenkins died in her mother's arms at the entrance of her home as she tried to flee the spray of bullets.
Larose, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last month, will spend seven years in prison. He testified against Darling during the week-long trial.
Darling, 24, faced a second-degree murder charge also, which can carry a life sentence, but jurors decided to find him guilty of a lesser charge.
It took jurors a day to sift through all the emotional testimony and evidence before concluding Darling was not acting in self defense, but was instead the instigator and cause of Jenkins' death.
Darling now awaits sentencing and still could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Posted Thursday, Oct 8, 2009 - 1:27 PM EST
