Keith Alonzo Littlepage maintained that he was innocent Friday, even as Judge Thomas Motley sentenced him to 50 years behind bars.
Already 50 years old, the sentence likely means Littlepage will die in prison. If released, he would be required to spend five years under supervised release.
A jury convicted Littlepage in July of first-degree murder and felony murder for killing his one-time lover, Selina Knight, on March 4, 2011.
Littlepage, speaking before the sentence, told Motley he didn’t commit the crime.
“I did not kill Selina Knight,” Littlepage said. “I’ve never, ever in my life stabbed nobody. I don’t know that I even have the heart to.”
Knight’s mother, Anna Delores Mays, told Littlepage that she was the only one in Knight’s family who wanted to give him a chance after he was released from prison in 2010 and resumed dating her daughter. Littlepage and Knight had known each other about 20 years, and had an on-and-off relationship, her family testified. Littlepage had been incarcerated for drug offenses during some of that time.
“For you to take my baby away the way you did, it doesn’t make any sense,” Mays said. She added, “You took her away in her sleep, like a coward.”
Prosecutors had asked Judge Thomas Motley to sentence Littlepage to life in prison without the possibility of parole. They cited Littlepage’s repeated arrests, dating back to 1981, when he was found guilty in the death of his then-girlfriend.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Feitel said he couldn’t remember another case where he pushed for such a long sentence. But Littlepage had now killed two former girlfriends, Feitel said.
“Enough is enough,” he told Motley.
Littlepage’s attorney, Anthony Matthews, said that a life sentence would amount to “piling on” his client to make a statement.
Littlepage was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the previous case in DC Superior Court, but under the Youth Rehabilitation Act, was given what prosecutors characterized as a lenient sentence. Littlepage served 15 years in prison for that crime, according to prosecutors.
Since then, Littlepage has been convicted of unauthorized use of a vehicle, possession with intent to distribute heroin, attempted distribution of heroin and several misdemeanor charges of making threats, according to government documents.
The government described Littlepage as a “danger to the community” and suggested life in prison was the best way to address the severity of his actions and minimize risk to the community from his release.
Knight was found her dead by her sister just before midnight on March 4, 2011. Knight’s body was sprawled on her couch and hate graffiti was scrawled on the walls, according to evidence introduced at trial. Prosecutors said at trial that Littlepage broke into the apartment and wrote graffiti like “HIV,” “bitch,” and “AIDS.”
During the trial, Knight’s family testified that Littlepage had left a voicemail threatening to distribute fliers exposing Knight’s HIV positive status. A crisis counselor testified that Littlepage told her, “Bitch gave me HIV. Bitch gave me AIDS.”
Knight had contracted the disease about a decade ago from a previous boyfriend who used heroin, her family said at the trial.
Littlepage’s fears of infection, in the end, proved unfounded. In an HIV test administered after Knight’s death, Littlepage tested negative for HIV.
Turning to Knight’s family, Littlepage said, “I hurt just like you all do.”
Penny Ray contributed reporting.
Documents, and a press release from the US Attorney’s Office, are below.
