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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- October 12, 2017
Homicides
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Suspects
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Tayvon Felton was sentenced to 14 years for his part in the murder of Cortez Clark in October of 2015.
When asked to give a statement before his sentencing, Felton turned to Clark’s family and close friends and apologized for taking Clark’s life and said he would pray for the family to “celebrate him everyday.”
Cortez Clark was found dead after he was assaulted and robbed in an apartment at 331 Parkland PI, SE in 2015. Originally, only defendant John Allen was charged with is murder, but later evidence led to additional arrests. Felton, Wade Wilson, and Allen all co-conspired to lure Cortez to Allen’s apartment using Ameesha Gray’s profile on a dating application called “Tagged,” according to warrants for their arrest.
Once Clark arrived at the apartment, the three men assaulted and robbed him. Allen revealed in a statement to the police that after the homicide, Felton and Gray fled the scene in Clark’s vehicle. In an interview with police, Felton explained that he and Allen had created a fake profile on “Tagged” as Gray in order to convince Clark into going on the date. Allen also told the police that during a phone call Gray had made with Clark, Felton told her what to say the whole time.
Felton pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter before the trial. His defense argued for his proposed sentence to be lowered from the original 12-18 years because of his struggles and growth as a person.Felton had been through a lot of trauma at a young age, his attorney said. This trauma included watching his brother murder his father at just 10-years-old. However, Judge Lee discussed Felton’s role in planning the robbery and murder of Clark and how he showed “callousness” in denying his part.