DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced a homicide defendant to 17 years of imprisonment after he expressed deep regret for his actions on Oct. 17.
Derek Turrentine, 43, was originally charged with first-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of 43-year-old James Price on Sept. 15, 2024 on the 400 block of 50th Street, NE.
Turrentine pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed on Aug. 18 and in exchange, prosecutors agreed to a sentence of 17 years of imprisonment.
At sentencing, the prosecutor read a statement from Price’s aunt and uncle who said Price was “tragically and senselessly taken from [them] due to gun violence.”
Price’s sister said she was “holding on to the hope and strength [Price] inspires” and dedicated her remembrance of Price to keep his legacy alive.
A letter from Price’s brother acknowledged the loss Turrentine’s family suffered with him incarcerated and said “this tragedy has hurt two families.”
The prosecutor noted Turrentine’s limited criminal history and that he accepted responsibility early in the case. However, but the prosecutor also described the premeditated nature of the murder because Turrentine followed Price into an alley and fired the final shot when Price was motionless on the ground.
Shawn Sukumar, Turrentine’s attorney, said he struggled to comprehend how the person who sat next to him was the same person in the video of the murder. Sukumar said the person he knew was “only a person of deep regret” and “truly contemplating his life” since his arrest.
Turrentine looked directly towards Price’s family in the courtroom and apologized. “I beg them for forgiveness,” said Turrentine.
“When I reemerge, I’d like to impact the community I devastated in a positive manner,” expressed Turrentine.
“His expressions of remorse strike me as genuine,” said Judge Edelman.
Judge Edelman described the murder as “cold-blooded” but acknowledged Turrentine accepted responsibility and had a minimal criminal history.
The judge accepted the plea deal and sentenced Turrentine to 17 years of imprisonment with five years of supervised release. Turrentine will also be required to register as a gun offender in DC upon his release.
No further dates were set.
