CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Charleston man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the shooting death of a teenager on the city’s West Side last year.
Kanawha Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey handed down the sentence Monday to Braheem Griffin, 27. Griffin had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of 19-year old Trequan Gibson. Gibson was shot and killed on July 4 of last year on Second Avenue.
In November of last year, Griffin was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia after being on the run.
Prosecutors and Griffin’s attorneys agreed to the binding plea deal that sentenced Griffin to 25 years in prison. Bailey said Monday she had a hard time with the final sentence, citing Griffin’s violent past.
“I have no doubt that upon any release from incarceration that you will continue to commit violent conduct against others until someone, such as me, is in a position to sentence you for the remainder of your life to a prison,” Bailey said.
“I must agree with this binding plea because I think the other danger is, if this matter had gone to trial, I understand the difficulty and one can never understand what a jury may do.”
During the hearing, Kanawha County Assistant Prosecutor Don Morris said the state had only one cooperating witness and lacked physical evidence.
Gibson’s mother spoke out during the virtual sentencing and said he had his entire life in front of him. Gibson had just been accepted to WVU and planned to go to law school.
“His whole life was ahead of him. You took that from him Braheem. I will never see my son become a lawyer. I will never see Tre get married and have kids,” she said.
She continued by saying her life has changed for the worse since the day Gibson was killed.
“People say it’ll get better, they are wrong, it’ll never get better. I might have good days and then something will trigger it,” the mother said.
“I am depressed, I am angry. My daughter is lost without her baby brother.” Griffin did not respond or speak during the hearing.
Bailey said the 25 year sentence was to be served consecutively to any federal sentence that could be imposed on other charges.