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Convicted murderer sentenced to 33 years
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Kevin L. West
YOUNGSTOWN
A convicted murderer maintains his innocence, but the family of his victim is happy to see him headed to prison for the next three decades.
Kevin West, 23, of Clearmount Drive, was convicted of aggravated murder with a gun specification by a jury Dec. 13 in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. He appeared for sentencing Wednesday before Judge Maureen A. Sweeney on that charge and entered a guilty plea on a second charge of illegal possession of a firearm.
Judge Sweeney sentenced West to a combined 33-year prison term for his crimes. She sentenced West to three years in prison for illegally having the gun. That sentence will run consecutive to a sentence of 30 years to life for the murder.
West also must serve a year for a separate charge of illegally carrying a firearm, but he will get credit for the 895 days he has spent in the county jail.
The jury found West guilty of killing 22-year-old Delbert L. Jones. Jones, of 814 W. Indianola Ave., was found face down in a field between his home and 808 W. Indianola on Aug. 16, 2008, with several gunshot wounds to his back and pronounced dead at the scene. West was arrested in Boardman four days later.
Jones was near his home, talking to his friends, who were sitting in a car, when West drove by the home. West returned soon thereafter on foot, firing a shot at Jones, chasing Jones and firing additional shots.
After Jones collapsed, West stood over him and fired two more shots into him, said Robert Andrews, an assistant county prosecutor. Andrews asked the judge to sentence West to life in prison without parole.
“I believe this is the worst form of the offense,” Andrews said.
Atty. Ronald Yarwood, representing West, told the court his client maintains his innocence and would like to see the outside of a prison at some point in his lifetime. He said West may be an entirely different person after serving time in prison.
“We lack the foresight to know who Kevin West will be 20 to 25 years from now,” Yarwood said.
West said, “My heart goes out to the family, but I remain innocent.”
Jones’ twin brother, Darnell Jones, told the court he has thought of his brother every day for the last two years. He said he would see his brother every time he looked in the mirror, and he is happy to see West going to prison for a long period of time.
Onessa Jones, the victim’s sister, said she too is satisfied with the sentence but surprised at the defense request for leniency. “My brother can’t never come back,” she said.