The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Man gets 40 years to life for Lorain murder
Abline Cannon smiled to his family as he entered Lorain County Common Pleas Court Judge D. Chris Cook’s courtroom Aug. 30, but he wasn’t smiling as he left the room with a 40 years to life sentence.
Cannon, a 38-year-old Cleveland drug dealer, received the penalty after he was found guilty by a jury Aug. 29 of the aggravated murder of 23-year-old David Barreiro, of Lorain, murder, kidnapping, two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of aggravated burglary, three counts of felonious assault, a single count of tampering with evidence and two counts of having weapons under disability many
of which also bear a firearm specification.
Barreiro was shot four times in the early hours of Dec. 10, 2016, in his Shore Drive apartment when Cannon, and at least one unnamed accomplice, kicked in the door and attempted to rob him.
Cannon took a bullet in the arm in the same shootout that killed Barreiro.
Barreiro’s mother, Sesa Barreiro-Patterson, in her victim impact statement, attempted to tell Cook who her son was as a person before he was shot and killed in a botched robbery by Cannon and an unnamed accomplice.
Barreiro-Patterson said her son was born to a married, working class family and was a natural athlete, his true passion was music.
“David had his own studio where he would write, record, produce and engineer his music,” Barreiro-Patterson said. “He was also a great cook and always said if he didn’t love music so much, he would want to become a chef and open his own restaurant.”
Barreiro-Patterson did not mention Cannon’s name, but addressed his actions.
“There were so many goals and visions David had for his future,” she said. “Unfortunately, they were cut short at 23 by an individual who lacks remorse and the moral compass that normal human beings possess.”
Patterson-Barreiro also expressed some hope that Cannon would find religion while incarcerated.
“This individual will now go on to live in physical and mental prison while living with his own demons and darkness,” she said. “May he go on to seek the Lord and live on in his truth.”
She added her son always knew he was a child of God, and despite the fact that “sometimes he operated in the flesh,” he now is living in eternal peace.
Speaking on behalf of her whole family, Barreiro-Patterson asked Cook to sentence Cannon to life without the possibility of parole.
Lorain County Assistant Prosecutor Tony Cillo echoed Barreiro-Patterson’s request citing statements made during Cannon’s trial by defense attorney James Burge.
“With the defendant’s life as a criminal, you can see there is nothing that will stop him from preying on society,” Cillo said.
He pointed out Cannon’s prison record with crimes including robbery and drug trafficking which resulted in two lengthy prison sentences which he said demonstrates Cannon is “beyond rehabilitation.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you lock him up, once he gets out, he will continue on,” Cillo said. “Prison doesn’t rehabilitate him; it just takes him out of circulation for a while.”
Cillo said Cannon procured the drugs he sold by robbing other drug dealers.
“It’s all profit then,” he said. “It all tied together.”
Burge also addressed the court in an effort to try to mitigate his client’s punishment saying that the minimum sentence in the case would see Cannon possibly being released at the age of 64.
“As a senior citizen, that may be the practical solution to the problem; I don’t know,” he said. “I would think that by that time, as a senior citizen, Abline would look back on his life and he would have a lot of regrets.
“I’m sure he has them now. I think possibly, he could be subject to release. I think even the convicted, nevertheless, have some right to hope.”
Cannon did not address the court. But he snarled and shook his head when asked if he’d like to.
Before pronouncing the sentence, Cook also commented on Cannon’s record.
“You’ve spent almost your entire adult life as a criminal,” the judge said. “You’ve wreaked havoc on communities and you wreaked havoc on people’s lives.
“You have, by my count, approximately 21 adult felonies, have been to prison twice, neither of which made an impact or changed you in a positive manner to change your lifestyle.
“Based upon all the relevant sentencing factors in this terribly senseless crime, I find you to be, essentially today, irredeemable and unrehabilitatable, and I do believe to take all hope from you would be inappropriate given the totality of the factors.”
After the sentence, Cannon indicated his intention to appeal the case.
Speaking after the hearing was completed, Lorain police Detective Brian Denman said he was happy with the sentence, but there still was collateral damage left from that December night.
“You’ve got two families that are destroyed over something senseless,” Denman said.
“Based upon all the relevant sentencing factors in this terribly senseless crime, I find you to be, essentially today, irredeemable and un-rehabilitatable, and I do believe to take all hope from you would be inappropriate given the totality of the factors.” — Lorain County Common Pleas Court Judge D. Chris Cook