Committing a double murder to enforce a bizarre "hood tax" on other thieves in Winton Terrace has resulted in a Cincinnati man sentenced to spend decades behind bars.
A judge sentenced 25-year-old Devorous Hendricks Thursday morning to 30 years to life in prison following his conviction in an emotional trial that ended late last month. In that trial, Hendricks was convicted for the murder of two teenagers, Cameron Parson and Patrick Peterson.
According to court testimony, Hendricks killed the teenagers in 2007 after finding out they were robbing homes in Winton Terrace without paying him a cut. Hendricks, who was known as the "Enforcer of Winton Terrace," told others he felt he was owed a $100 "hood tax."
Parson and Peterson reportedly fled the neighborhood and hid out from Hendricks in Silverton. But he still managed to find the teens and kill them.
In court on Thursday, the mother of Parson asked for the maximum sentence. Meeke Parson told the court, "The defendant has robbed me of getting a chance to see my son grow up. Only recently has my daughter stopped having breakdowns because she misses her brother."
Hendricks' attorney, Perry Ancona, asked for an acquittal, saying the evidence against his client wasn't strong enough to convict. However, Assistant Prosecutor Seth Tieger says the shots that killed Parson and Peterson, "were head shots. These were executions."
Judge Marsh denied the acquittal motion, and asked Hendricks himself if he had anything to say before sentencing. He said he did not.
That's when Judge Marsh handed down her sentence: 10 years for felonious assault with a weapon to run concurrently with other sentences. Hendricks got 15 year to life sentence for each of the murders, to run consecutively for a total of 30 years to life.
Still to be decided by the court, is whether Hendricks will have to serve at least three additional years for a gun specification associated with the felonious assault count.
Hendricks' conviction hearing in March became unruly as a result of emotional confrontations between friends and family members of the victims and defendant. As a result, 11 Hamilton County sheriff's deputies were needed to restore order and separately escort the groups from the courtroom.
Amid the sound of loud sobbing, both sets of family and friends left the courtroom without incident.
