Murder Defendant Shows Remorse After Receiving 20-Year Sentence

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On Aug. 14, a murder defendant apologized to the family of his victim after being sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Joshua Artis pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for shooting Ryan Matthew Addison, 28, on the 200 block of Elmira Street, SW on Aug. 11, 2015. Artis, 29, was originally charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and unlawful possession of a firearm.

All other charges were dropped in the agreement.

Addison’s family and close friends were present in court to speak to the character of the victim. They spoke about his love for fashion and how Artis had taken away a good person who the community needed.

They said they wanted Artis to find peace with his mistake.

Artis said in court that he did not mean to kill Addison and it was a case of mistaken identity. He also said he was remorseful for what he did.

DC Superior Court Judge Ronna Beck sentenced Artis to 20 years in prison with five years of supervised release on the recommendation of the prosecution. His sentence will be served concurrently with a sentence from a conviction in Virginia.

D.C. Witness previously reported that Artis is part of the Imperial Gangsta Bloods’ (IGB) gang. Apparently, he was “authorized,” by the leader, to kill Addison in retaliation for the killing of Rodney Delonte Davis on July 28, 2015.

Artis was transferred to Virginia to serve out his sentence.