THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 18, 1995 TAG: 9510180369
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
A judge on Tuesday sentenced a former Norfolk State University student to 55 years in prison for the murder of Gerard Edwards and the wounding of Ronald Richardson in their dorm last year.
On Aug. 31, James Powers was convicted of first-degree murder, malicious wounding, conspiracy and two firearms counts. He is the fourth defendant to go on trial in the attack in the early hours of Jan. 18, 1994, at NSU's Samuel F. Scott Hall.
Edwards was shot up to 10 times in his room, a victim of gang rivalry, prosecutors said. He had befriended a group of Washington-area students who called themselves the D.C. Boys. Richardson was shot once and lost a kidney.
The other students arrested in the case were Shamont Burrell, Derrick Washington and Christopher Skinner, all members of a group of New Yorkers who called themselves the 718 Crew. A fifth student, Anthony Britton, is still being sought.
Burrell was found guilty of the same charges in March and sentenced to 68 years in prison. Skinner and Washington made plea agreements and testified against their former friends. Skinner was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy and 12 months for misdemeanor accessory after the fact. Washington made a deal for a 25-year maximum sentence.
KEYWORDS: SHOOTING ASSAULT MURDER INJURIES
TRIAL SENTENCING by CNB