Two more jailed in Spotsy teen beatings

Two Spotsylvania teens sentenced in beatings case

Date published: 9/25/2009

By PAMELA GOULD

At 6 feet 1 inch and 300 pounds, Matthew Shepherd is impossible to miss in the Jan. 11 attack on two teens that was captured on a cell phone video.

But at the start of his sentencing hearing in Spotsylvania County Circuit Court yesterday, his attorney immediately wanted one fact clear: his client wore flip-flops.

Shepherd, 19, is seen in the video throwing multiple punches and kicking one of the victims who is on the ground and under attack from several other teens.

Shepherd and Jonathan Longtin, also 19, were sentenced yesterday for their roles in the beating that occurred in a field in the Stoneybrooke subdivision on a Sunday afternoon.

Longtin testified yesterday that he threw one punch at one of the victims to protect a friend but then backed away when he saw things getting out of control.

Nine teens were originally charged with two counts each of malicious wounding by mob for the attack that sent both victims to the hospital. One victim, then 18, sustained multiple fractures to his jaw. Doctors initially feared the other victim, then 19, suffered a brain injury.

The two victims showed up at the field expecting to play a pickup football game. Instead, they were confronted about allegedly beating up the younger brother of one of the defendants, an accusation they deny.

Five teens have already been sentenced, receiving terms to serve between one month and 1 years.

Yesterday, Shepherd, a 2008 Courtland High graduate, received a three-year sentence with all but six months suspended for a felony unlawful wounding conviction.

Longtin, a 2009 Courtland graduate, received a one-year sentence with all but two months suspended and a misdemeanor assault and battery conviction.

Also yesterday, the attorney for defendant Tyrik Denson asked to be heard Oct. 22 on a motion for reconsideration of his client's sentence.

The last two defendants are scheduled to be sentenced that day.

On Aug. 13, Denson received a three-year sentence with six months to serve.

All of the teens are paying one-ninth of the victims' medical bills as restitution.

Each has accepted an identical plea deal, which drops one charge and reduces the other.

Under the plea, visiting Judge J. Howe Brown Jr. has the option of convicting each teen of unlawful wounding, a felony, or a lesser charge.

So far, only two of the teens have been convicted of the lesser charge of assault and battery, a misdemeanor with a maximum term of one year. Unlawful wounding carries a maximum term of five years.

Yesterday, the victim who was attacked by Shepherd and Longtin said he would have liked them both to get more time to serve.

"They could have called for help when we were laying there on the ground," said the victim, who asked not to be identified. "They had multiple things they could have done."

Pamela Gould: 540/735-1972
Email: pgould@freelancestar.com

MATTHEW W. SHEPHERD CONVICTION: Unlawful wounding, felony SENTENCE: Serve six months of a three-year term. Indefinite term of probation. Pay one-ninth of medical expenses. PERSONAL: 2008 Courtland High School graduate, has 5-month-old son. SPORTS: Played football one year at Stafford High School. ROLE IN BEATINGS: Punched and kicked second victim multiple times while he was on the ground. FAMILY FRIEND DAN WALLACE: "He looks like a bear but he's a teddy bear." He's "a little immature" and "has a heart of gold." PROSECUTOR BRIAN BOYLE: "He didn't just join in. He posts up over [the victim], putting his weight into the punches and then he stands up and kicks him." The victim was "a man who needed someone with a heart of gold to protect him." SHEPHERD: "I would like to apologize to the victims and their families. For what I did, I was a coward." JONATHAN R. LONGTIN CONVICTION: Assault and battery, misdemeanor. SENTENCE: Serve two months of a 12-month sentence. Pay one-ninth of medical expenses. PERSONAL: 2009 Courtland High graduate, hopes to join the Army. SPORTS: Played four years of football at Courtland. ROLE IN BEATINGS: Punched second victim once before he fell. Backed away when others piled on. Said he hit victim to protect defendant De'onte Jones. Said he didn't know in advance there would be a confrontation. ASSISTANT CHS COACH MICHAEL MOON: "I have a daughter, and I have absolutely zero objections of having her with him." DEFENSE ATTORNEY FREDERICK GETTY: "The issue we have here, judge, is one punch thrown." JUDGE BROWN: "The second punch deserves more time than the first." LONGTIN: To the victims: "I'm real sorry for what I did. I wish I could take it back." Seven of the nine defendants in the January beating of two Spotsylvania teens have been sentenced. Below is the status of each case. Brock L. Bullock, 18, convicted of assault and battery; sentenced to serve one month of a one-year sentence. Released from jail Aug. 24. Has returned to Courtland High School for his senior year and is playing on the varsity football team. Kyle A. Brown, 18, entered plea to unlawful wounding Sept. 14; awaits sentencing Oct. 22. Tyrik J. Denson, 18, convicted of unlawful wounding; sentenced to serve six months of a three-year sentence. His attorney has filed a motion for reconsideration of his sentence. The motion is to be heard Oct. 22. De'onte C. Jones, 18, convicted of unlawful wounding; sentenced to serve one year of a five-year sentence. Jonathan R. Longtin, 19, sentenced yesterday to serve two months of a one-year sentence for misdemeanor assault and battery. John "Jay" H. Madison, 18, convicted of unlawful wounding; sentenced to serve 1 years of a five-year sentence. James E. Massey Jr., 18, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding; awaits sentencing Oct. 22. Tajh H. Pendleton, 18, convicted of unlawful wounding; sentenced to serve six months of a three-year sentence. Matthew W. Shepherd, 19, sentenced yesterday to serve six months of a three-year term for felony unlawful wounding.

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Date published: 9/25/2009

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