A teen involved in the 2019 murder of 18-year-old Tessa Majors was sentenced on Thursday (October 14).
Luchiano Lewis received the maximum sentence of nine years to life in prison for his role in the murder of Majors who was a first year student at Barnard College in NYC.
Majors was stabbed to death on December 11, 2019 while walking in Morningside Park in Manhattan located just outside the campus of Columbia University.
Lewis, who was 14 at the time of the murder, was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree robbery last month, ABC News reported.
Two other teens were arrested and charged in Majors’ killing. Rashaun Weaver, 16, who pleaded not guilty and a 13-year-old juvenile pleaded guilty and is serving out his sentence.
Lewis said the three middle schoolers plotted a scheme to rob people in the park and blamed Weaver for the idea. Prosecutors said Weaver handled the knife.
In court, the last moments of Tessa’s life were played, showing the injured student climbing up a park staircase before she collapsed at a lamp post at the top. Her father, Inman Majors, exited the courtroom briefly after the security footage was played.
“We still find words inadequate to describe the immeasurable pain, trauma, and suffering that our family has endured since her senseless murder,” Majors’ parents wrote in a statement read aloud by prosecutors.
Lewis, now 16, apologized, stating that he felt “sad in the role I played in destroying two families.” Lewis told Majors’ father, “I’m deeply sorry for your loss,” while crying and covering his eyes with his hand. The teen turned to his own father who sat alone in the court and said, “Dad, I’m sorry I failed you.”
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