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Plea deal to bring 18-year sentence
The man is set to be sentenced today.
YOUNGSTOWN — The third of three individuals charged in a 2007 murder is headed to prison.
James E. Steward III, 18, of Thornton Avenue, was scheduled to go on trial this week in on aggravated-murder charge before Judge Maureen Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Steward agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors that will place him in prison for 18 years.
David Clinkscale, 19, of Park- cliff Avenue, was found fatally shot in the back in a downstairs apartment in the 2300 block of Ohio Avenue on the city’s North Side in November 2007. Detectives said more than one person shot Clinkscale.
The occupant of an upstairs apartment reported hearing multiple gunshots, and police found bullet-impact marks on the walls, doors and ceiling.
Steward was initially charged with two counts of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and felonious assault with a firearm specification. He has pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery with a firearm specification.
Steward was represented by Atty. Jeffrey Limbian.
The prosecution and defense have agreed that Steward should be sentenced to 10 years for the involuntary manslaughter charge, five years for aggravated robbery and three years for using a gun while committing the crimes. The sentences are set to run consecutively.
Steward was set to be officially sentenced by Judge Sweeney today.
Derrick Veal, 21, of Toledo, formerly of Youngstown, had been charged with two counts of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and felonious assault. He agreed to plead to illegally possessing a weapon and a firearm specification earlier this year. Prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of three years for Veal, contingent on his testimony against Steward.
Tora Barnette, 20, of Upland Avenue, a third person indicted with Veal and Steward on the same set of original charges, also entered into a plea agreement with the state earlier this year. Barnette pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter with a firearm specification, and the prosecution dropped all the other charges against him.
The prosecution and defense agreed he should serve four years for the voluntary manslaughter, plus three consecutive years for the firearm specification, for a total of seven years in prison.
jgoodwin@vindy.com