THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 31, 1995 TAG: 9508310490
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: METRO BRIEFS
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 25 lines
A man who pleaded guilty in July to the fatal beating of his girlfriend has been sentenced to serve 25 years in prison.
On July 14, Russell Whitfield, 30, was found guilty of second-degree murder in a plea agreement. On Tuesday, Circuit Judge John E. Clarkson gave Whitfield a 40-year sentence with 15 years suspended.
Whitfield was charged with the death in early March of Joyce Johnson, 39, who had been in a coma since September 1994 after being beaten by Whitfield. Johnson died in a Richmond hospital.
Whitfield was charged in December with malicious wounding. The charge was upgraded to murder when Johnson died, records show.
KEYWORDS: SENTENCING GUILTY PLEA MURDER by CNB