Two people were convicted of participating in the murder of a hotel bar manager in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in 2013.
Kimfrey Williams and Rinaldo Washington were sentenced Tuesday to 30 years and 25 years, respectively, after being found guilty earlier this year of felony murder, armed robbery and related charges for their role in an incident at the Clairon Hotel in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
On October 21, 2013, Deandre Weems, who has already been convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, entered the hotel, pulled out a gun and demanded cash from an employee at the front desk. Jessie Chavez, the hotel bar manager, heard the front desk worker scream and came from another area of the hotel to help her.
As Weems attempted to leave the hotel, Chavez tried to stop him, and the two began to fight in the lobby, eventually spilling outside in front of the hotel. During the fight, Weems shot Chavez in the chest at point blank range, killing him.
Video surveillance from the hotel captured the robbery and part of the altercation between Weems and Chavez. Williams was the driver of the getaway vehicle, and Washington acted as the lookout during the robbery.
The victim's mother, Vivian Chavez, said the torture of waiting almost three years is finally over and she is very relieved.
In what was an emotional sentence hearing, the mothers of both defendants asked for mercy, saying their sons were influenced by Weems. The Prince George’s County state’s attorney’s office was seeking more time for both co-defendants but said they're glad to get them both off the streets.
