On June 22, Martel Hall received a 12-year sentence as restitution for the death of a 31-year-old Washington, DC resident. But, the victim’s family was not happy with the judge’s decision.
Hall, 29, pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter in April. According to court documents, he stabbed David Neal, 31, in front of the victim’s older brother, in a 7-Eleven parking lot on the 3900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SW in 2017. Neal and Hall were apparently involved in a physical altercation at the time of the stabbing.
“I’m not happy with the court on this,” Neal’s brother told DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson. “This was premeditated murder. But, I forgive him. He admitted his mistake and pled guilty.”
Judge Dayson also sentenced Hall to five additional years under supervised release.
“This was spontaneous, it wasn’t supposed to end like this,” Hall told Neal’s family. “I’m so sorry”.
