WASHINGTON 鈥� A District Heights, Maryland, man who shot the woman who was driving the car he was riding in has been given a maximum sentence: life plus 20 years.
Joseph Poteat, now 31, was found guilty in June of first-degree murder and a gun charge. He was sentenced Friday.
In October 2015, a car driven by Marquita Wimms crashed into an apartment complex in District Heights. When rescuers arrived to extricate Wimms, they found that she had been shot. Video evidence showed Poteat climbing out of the car after the crash and running off.
The two were dating, prosecutors have said. It鈥檚 not known why Poteat shot her.
Judge Herman Dawson pointed to Poteat鈥檚 lengthy criminal history before handing down the sentence. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not anything glowing in here about you,鈥� Dawson said of the six-page report. The defense asked for leniency, claiming Poteat had a serious problem with the drug PCP.
The judge also heard from the victim鈥檚 mother, Laverne Granger. She said Wimms, who was 32 at the time of her death, worked at a cancer treatment center in Greenbelt. 鈥淚鈥檓 ex-military and I thought I was strong,鈥� Granger told the court. 鈥淚鈥檓 still trying to pull myself up 鈥� which seems to be impossible.鈥�
Poteat, with long dreadlocks and wearing a dark red inmate uniform, opted to speak before his sentencing as well. He gave a general apology to both the victim鈥檚 family and to his own, but continued to deny his guilt.
鈥淗e apologized for something he said he didn鈥檛 do, and that didn鈥檛 sit right with me,鈥� Granger said outside the courthouse.
鈥淭he judge agreed with us that he is an individual who has no business ever walking the streets of Prince George鈥檚 County again,鈥� said State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks. She called this 鈥測et another horrible incident involving what we believe was domestic violence.鈥�
