Woman who lured Maurise Kerns to his death gets probation

YOUNGSTOWN

Antwanette Kennedy said as she was being sentenced for obstruction of justice for her role in the 2014 shooting death of a man on Idora Avenue that she had to break the law.

Speaking through tears Wednesday before Judge Maureen Sweeney in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, Kennedy, 26, said she was threatened she would be killed if she did not lure Maurise Kerns, 24, to a vacant home on Idora Avenue, where he was shot and killed April 1, 2014.

The judge sentenced Kennedy to a year of probation on an amended charge of obstruction of justice, which was recommended by prosecutors and defense attorneys.

“I was put in the wrong situation, and it was out of control what I had to do,” Kennedy said.

That was not good enough for Sabrina Carter, the mother of Kerns, who said she could have called police.

“I will never accept the system of her walking free,” Carter said.

Kennedy is the last of four people to be sentenced for the death of Kerns, who was killed in an exchange of gunfire and was found lying on the porch of the vacant home.

Brothers Bralin Allen, 30; Breandre Allen, 29; and a third man, Michael Wilkins, 25, are all serving lengthy prison sentences for Kerns’ death.

Read more about the case in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.