MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A Monongalia County judge has deferred the sentencing of a man found guilty of charges in the death of a teenager.
Christopher Smith, 22, has been ordered by Circuit Court Judge Russell Clawges to the Anthony Correctional Center, a facility for young adult offenders between the ages of 18 and 25.
Smith was facing up to 6 years in prison on two separate charges.
In August, a jury found Smith guilty of involuntary manslaughter and wanton endangerment following the fatal shooting of Damon Sochko-Seals, a 16-year-old Morgantown High School student.
In testimony, Smith described a “tense moment” when a gun, in his possession, went off after a dispute among members of the Church Hill Drive household where the shooting occurred in March.
Police determined Smith was “recklessly manipulating” the gun the night of the fatal shooting.
Offenders at the Anthony Correctional Facility are required to participate in programs to further their education while in custody.