A trio who admitted to killing a teenager over a gun were sentenced to prison Tuesday.
Robert Saulsberry, 19, Doir Jenkins, 20, and Messiah Neely, 16, pleaded guilty to the fatal shooting in January.
District Judge Jacqueline Bluth ordered sentences of 18 years to life in prison for Jenkins and Saulsberry and nine to 26 years in prison for Neely, according to court spokesperson Mary Ann Price.
The three killed 16-year-old Jovan Wright-Bullock in May 2024.
Saulsberry and Jenkins both pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. They and prosecutors agreed upon their sentences.
Neely pleaded guilty to a count of voluntary manslaughter and a count of robbery with use of a deadly weapon. Prosecutors and the defense retained the right to argue over what his sentence should be.
The group planned to rob Wright-Bullock of a pistol, according to a Metropolitan Police Department report, but when Wright-Bullock reached for a second gun, Saulsberry shot him.
“After they fled, Saulsberry realized the gun they stole from Jovan was actually a BB gun,” police said.
Attorney Frank Kocka, who represented Saulsberry, said there was a deal to purchase a gun, which turned out to be a BB gun. The victim had another gun, which Saulsberry saw, prompting the shooting, according to Kocka, who said his understanding was that the second gun was a real one.
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com.
