VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A 19-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to the murder of a teenager and a robbery turned shooting in 2025, according to the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
Josiah Joel Spann pleaded guilty on June 29 to first degree murder, aggravated malicious wounding, attempted robbery causing bodily injury, two counts of use of a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon. Spann was sentenced to life in prison with all but 30 years suspended.
Prosecutors said that after an arranged fight between the teenage victim and one of Spann's friends went awry and ended in insults over social media, Spann shot him in the head through the glass door of his apartment, where he died of his injured.
Virginia Beach
Suspect faces additional charges for shooting that killed 17-year-old
Later that night, Spann and two others set up a fake drug deal to rob a gun from another man. Spann and the man shot each other after Spann tried to rob him; both recovered from their injuries. Forensic tests matched ammunition to both the murder and robbery scene to a gun Spann left behind.
Spann's co-defendant in the robbery, Marquez Smith, was convicted of attempted armed robbery and conspiracy. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison with 13 years and nine months suspended, leaving one year and three months to serve.
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