Roderick Britt
PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Roderick Britt was sentenced Friday for the May 2015 murder of 17-year-old Jayzavia Hill in Portsmouth.
Britt was found guilty on felony conspiracy and sentenced to 10 years with five years suspended.
The victim was found on May 9, 2015 in the 1900 block of Deep Creek Boulevard unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds to his upper body. Medics attempted to save his life, but he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Two other people were also wounded that night.
In September 2015, Britt, along with Andre Keel, Jalon Trotter, Samking N. Beale and RayQwan Short were arrested on charges related to the shootings. However, the charges were withdrawn a short time later.
In January, all five men were indicted on first-degree murder and other charges. Beale and Short turned themselves in, but Britt, Keel and Trotter were all believed to have gone on the run together and possibly fled to Atlanta.
The U.S. Marshals then initiated a nationwide manhunt aimed at finding the remaining three suspects.
On March 1, U.S. Marshals in Norfolk contacted the U.S. Marshals in Atlanta with a possible address for the three fugitives.
All three were taken into custody without incident at an apartment in Atlanta.
Britt spoke to News 3 from jail in March and said he was innocent, “The five of us, all five of us are not who these people label us.”
Britt will serve five years in prison and five years on probation for his part in the shootings.
