Jaleel Smith Riley is a 23-year-old man who was convicted of killing a 22-year-old woman and injuring her boyfriend during an attempted robbery in Norwood, Ohio, in 2013. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2016, after he tried to change his guilty plea at the last minute. This article will explore the details of his crime, his trial, and his emotional reaction to his sentence.
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The Crime: A Robbery Gone Wrong
According to WCPO 9 News, Smith Riley and two other men, who have not been identified, targeted Porshia Brooks and Aron Martin as they were sitting in a parked car on Carthage Avenue in Norwood on the night of Nov. 16, 2013. Smith Riley approached the car and ordered Martin out, but found that he had nothing of value to rob. He then shot Martin in the head, and leaned into the vehicle and fatally shot Brooks. Martin survived, but Brooks died three days later at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
The crime was described by Norwood police Lt. Ron Murphy as a “crime of opportunity” and a “robbery gone wrong”. The suspects had no ties to the area or the victims, and the motive was purely financial. The case remained unsolved for nearly two years, until the police received tips that led them to Smith Riley and his accomplices in 2015. One of the suspects was already in jail in another state, and the other one was deceased.
The Trial: A Guilty Plea and a Change of Heart
Smith Riley was arrested in Cincinnati on Oct. 15, 2015, and charged with one count of murder, among other offenses. He initially admitted to killing Brooks and injuring Martin, and agreed to plead guilty to aggravated murder with an accompanying firearm specification, and attempted murder, in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. However, on the day of his sentencing, Sept. 28, 2016, he shocked everyone by requesting to change his plea to not guilty, claiming that he was coerced by his lawyers and that he had new evidence to prove his innocence.
His request was denied by Judge Barry Kubicki, who said that Smith Riley had made a voluntary and intelligent decision to plead guilty, and that there was no evidence of coercion or new evidence to support his claim. Kubicki also took the death penalty off the table, and sentenced Smith Riley to life in prison without parole, plus 32 years for the attempted murder charge and the firearm specification.
The Sentence: A Breakdown and an Apology
Smith Riley’s reaction to his sentence was dramatic and emotional. He collapsed to the floor of the courtroom, sobbing and screaming, and had to be pulled up by the police. He then interrupted the judge, and apologized to the victims’ families, saying that he “made a mistake” and that he was “sorry for everything”. He also said that he loved his family and asked for their forgiveness.
Brooks’ family, who had brought her ashes to the court, were not moved by his apology. They said that he deserved his sentence, and that they had suffered a lot for the past two years. Brooks’ sister said, “If I have to live life without Porshia, he should have to live life without parole”. Martin, who had recovered from his gunshot wound, also said that he was glad that justice was served, and that he hoped that Smith Riley would find peace in prison.
Jaleel Smith Riley cause of death was not a physical one, but a legal and moral one. He lost his freedom and his dignity for a senseless and violent crime that he committed when he was 20 years old. His case is a tragic example of how a robbery gone wrong can have devastating consequences for everyone involved.