Turtle Creek man headed to prison in killing of teen during gun deal

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Turtle Creek man will serve 3½ to 10 years in prison after being sentenced Tuesday for third-degree murder.

Deonte Howell, 20, also will serve an additional five impossible to put her pain into words.

“My hands couldn’t write as fast as my brain was thinking and my heart was hurting,” she said. “Every day I wake up, I have this pain I can’t put into words. It’s just too much.”

Ms. Griffin looks forward to going to bed each night.

“I live the day so I can go to sleep and maybe see his face or hear his voice,” she said.

During the hearing, Howell asked the court if he could apologize to Justin’s family.

He turned to look at Ms. Griffin and said, “I really had no knowledge of this happening. I didn’t want to be there.

“I’m not evil. I’m not the devil. I don’t possess that energy.”

Ms. Griffin responded: “Why didn’t you call 911 whenyou watched him drop? Howdid you drive away?

“How did you continue to sleep or eat?” Howell did not respond. Burks also pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and was sentenced in May to serve 14 to 28 years in prison.

A third defendant connected to the case, Javon Peterson, 21, of Turtle Creek, pleaded guilty in February to hindering apprehension and obstruction. He was sentenced to serve three to 23 months at the Allegheny County Jail and paroled immediately. Police said he drove suspects away from the crime scene.