LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) – A man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for a shooting death in Louisiana last year.
The American Press of Lake Charles reported 23-year-old Derrick Ryan Small was sentenced late last week in the death of 20-year-old Jalen Ortelli Handy.
Small was convicted of first-degree murder last month following a trial that lasted five days.
Handy was shot Jan. 10, 2018, in Westlake. Prosecutors said the shooting occurred during a drug deal.
During the trial, the American Press reported that Handy was slain during a drug deal gone bad. Prosecutors said Small, who used the street name “D Smalls,” used Snapchat, a cell phone app, to sell marijuana to people.
To read the American Press story about the sentencing, which includes the scene in the courtroom, click here.
To read the newspaper’s stories about the trial, with all the details, click here, here and here. Here’s the story about the verdict.
