SENTENCING HEARING: Teenager imprisoned in slaying - News

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Nov. 07, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

SENTENCING HEARING: Teenager imprisoned in slaying

Prosecutor: 15-year-old victim 'never had a chance'

By DAVID KIHARA
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Raymond Roseby
16-year-old receives eight- to 20-year prison sentence for slaying

Sierra Vista High School student Demontre Carroll was only 15 years old, but he had lived through enough tragedies and seen enough violence to last a lifetime.

His father, a member of the Crips street gang, was shot and killed in a gang shooting in California when Demontre was a child. His mother, who authorities said also was a gang member, died when Demontre was about 11.

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In 2006, Demontre witnessed the killing of two Crips gang members in California and became a key witness in a Riverside County trial involving 14 hard-core gang members.

Authorities moved Demontre and his family to Las Vegas for his safety. But in October 2007, Demontre was gunned down in front of his southwest Las Vegas home.

His slaying, Las Vegas authorities said, had nothing to do with the California homicides.

The teen accused of shooting Demontre in the back, Raymond Roseby, was sentenced Thursday to spend eight to 20 years in prison for the crime.

"I never meant for this to happen," said Roseby, 16, who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a deadly weapon.

One of his attorneys, Deputy Special Public Defender Ivette Maningo, said Roseby's mother thinks about Demontre every day and finds it shocking that her son killed him.

"It's something this family is working through," she said.

Authorities said Roseby shot Demontre because the two had an ongoing fight after they were arrested for burglary. Each believed the other talked to police about the case.

Demontre's life wasn't defined by violence. Relatives said Demontre wasn't a gang member (Authorities dispute that.) and, as a sophomore at Sierra Vista, played defensive back for the football team. He and his eight siblings lived with their grandfather at a house near Decatur Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road.

His family returned to California after he was killed.

"I miss my grandson," said Lawrence Davison, Demontre's grandfather who attended Roseby's sentencing Thursday.

Demontre had a chance to begin a new life when he moved to Las Vegas, said Deena Bennett, supervising deputy district attorney with the Riverside County district attorney's office.

Bennett is the prosecutor in the case of the 14 gang members Demontre was going to testify against. He was killed 16 days before he was set to testify. Three other witnesses in the Riverside case were threatened, but only Demontre was killed.

"I felt Demontre never had a chance in life," she said.

The Riverside double-homicide case involved an ongoing dispute between three California-based gangs, one of which Demontre was affiliated with, according to court documents.

On Feb. 7, 2007, members of the three gangs had a shoot-out in Banning, Calif., that left two gang members dead. Demontre was the only witness willing to testify in court.

Bennett said she still believes Demontre was slain because he was a witness.

"Do I have anything concrete? No. Do I still have suspicions? Yes," she said. "It's too coincidental.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. dr.death wrote on November 07, 2008 05:22 PM: I bet he was paid to kill this kid. One less witness to testify against the gangs. More reasons white America, we need to arm ourselves from thugs like this. And, he shot this kid in the back. Coward. Peace wrote on November 07, 2008 02:56 PM: They moved him here for his safety? What about ours? He was involved in a burglary! Gee thanks for sending us another hoodlum. Dont we already have too many of those around here? This was not some sweet innocent little boy. Peace wrote on November 07, 2008 02:45 PM: By the way, I am white, but I voted for Obama, the American. I look at the quality of the individual not just the colour of their skin.<- I like that! I judge a person by their actions not their skin color. Ben Dover wrote on November 07, 2008 01:18 PM: They should have given him an extra 5-10 years for felony bad haircut. Bob27 wrote on November 07, 2008 12:28 PM: The largest killer of young black males are young black males, so itscommon has a point... Vindictive wrote on November 07, 2008 12:22 PM: Joe Bama, unfortunately, I think you're right on that one. The kid would have had better odds there is Baghdad. Still no excuse for their actions, on BOTH parties' parts. "You live by the sword..." Joe Bama wrote on November 07, 2008 12:03 PM: Moving the kid from Riverside to Vegas for his saftey and a new start? He would have had a better chance in Bagdad. Justice(the real one) wrote on November 07, 2008 11:39 AM: sydjay wrote on November 07, 2008 11:24 AM: Hey Itscommon you ever heard of white on white crime (gasp)! Oh my God who would say such a thing! Yeah, of course there's white on white crime, but whites don't cry foul playing the race card. When a race says they are treated unfairly or are oppressed, they need to look in the mirror. At times they are their own worst enemy. By the way, I am white, but I voted for Obama, the American. I look at the quality of the individual not just the colour of their skin. sydjay wrote on November 07, 2008 11:24 AM: Hey Itscommon you ever heard of white on white crime (gasp)! Oh my God who would say such a thing! ME wrote on November 07, 2008 10:27 AM: Thats bullshit!he should get 25-life! just because he didnt mean to do it dosent mean anything!he took a 15-year old boys life playing with something he had no business playin with!If he dont know how to control what he's doing then he shouldnt of been doing it in the first place. He's a punk for shootin him in his bacc. He shouldda did it while they were facing eachother. He planned to shot and kill him,well atleast shoot him,but 3 shots would only lead to one thing...MURDER! He should be chargered as an adult. Thats not even cool!I was a close friend to Demontre, and to just see him gone,right before his 16th birthday,its hard to believe! He should lost most of his life since he took anothers whole life! He knew what he was doing when he was doing it,he should not only get 8 years minimum! If it was an adult they would be lookin at 25-life! He should get the same thing!He knows right from wrong,he just choose not to use his mind. They gave him a lil baby sentence, its not going to teach him a lesson! He gone get out and probly kill again knowin he only has to do a lil 8 years,or less! That dosent teach anyone a lesson thats nothin. HE NEEDS MORE TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HE DID!! Right now I have a friend that was 14, and got caught with a gun on him,not intendin to hurt anyone,it was just for protection,and he was looking to 70 monthes!not having anyother criminal background or anything! So come on now! he needs more time! He made a plan and executed it! Others will think its alright because he only got a lil amount of time, now violence like that is going to go up! WATCH! Read All Comments