First Degree Murder Charge Reduced to Manslaughter

On February 12, 2009, in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, Andrew Avery was sentenced to three years in prison for the shooting death of Deshun Taylor.  Originally charged as first degree murder, the charge was reduced to voluntary manslaughter as part of a plea agreement.  Avery was represented by Horace F. Hunter of the law firm of Hunter & Lipton LLP.

The case receive a great deal of attention because Deshun Taylor, 14, was killed by a stray bullet while outside in the Fairfield housing project.  The problem with the case for the Commonwealth was that it appeared that Avery, along with his co-defendant Jesse Young, were both firing in self defense.  Unfortunately, ballistic testing showed that the fatal shot was fired by Young.  Because Young and Avery were both together shooting at another group of individuals, Avery was charged with the homicide and accepted a plea to lesser offense to put the matter behind him.  Judge Beverly Snukols accepted the three year plea deal and understood that the facts of the case were highly contested and there were conflicting reports from independent witnesses as to who fired first.

 

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