A man from Virginia who is 74 years old is going to prison, probably for the rest of his life, for shooting and killing a man who had knocked on his door by accident.
In a press release, the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said that Leroy Frank King was given a 45-year sentence for killing Albert Patrick Johnson, who was 38 years old. The judge took 20 years off the sentence, so he will now spend 25 years in prison. If he got out of jail, he would have to go on probation for three more years.
Around 5:30 p.m. on June 20, 2023, the crime happened in an apartment building in Norfolk in the 2900 block of Pleasant Avenue.
According to the prosecutors, Johnson had knocked on King’s door earlier that day by accident because he thought it was the home of a nearby friend. King got a gun and went outside to shoot the person in the neck and torso when Johnson knocked on the door again. The medics said King was dead at the scene.
This was not the first time King shot someone with a gun. prosecutors say he was previously found guilty of shooting a neighbor in 2003, but the victim did not die.
The jury found King guilty of second-degree murder and murder with a firearm in April. At his sentencing earlier this month, King continued to deny his guilt, saying he was “legally entitled” to shoot Johnson, even though he had been found guilty.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said, “Mr. King had no right to shoot the victim, and he should have known better at his age and based on his past behavior.” “I’m sorry that Mr. Johnson’s family lost a loved one in such an unnecessary way. He did not go against the rules. That Mr. King doesn’t think he did anything wrong means that he is still a danger to the public and that his sentence fits his crime.
Fatehi said Johnson was unable to work because of injuries he got as a teenager.
Johnson’s death notice says that he wanted to be a famous rapper. Loving ones said he had a “captivating spirit.”
“Albert was strong and successful, and he overcame many problems in his life.” It said in the obituary that Albert would be remembered for how much he loved his family and friends, how much he made everyone laugh and smile, and how big his personality was.
