Judge Russell Canan sentenced Ronald Page to 20 years in prison Friday for the shooting death of his stepson, 22-year-old Nicholas Ray Satcher.
Page addressed the court Friday for over half an hour often breaking down into tears while talking about his life, his dreams, and his family.
But when it came to his stepson’s shooting, Page seemed to place blame on his family, and claimed he was being attacked by Satcher and that he shot him in self-defense.
“I did not kill Nicholas,” Page said. “The situation was brought on by Nicholas, and his actions killed him.”
Police found Satcher on January 5, 2011 at approximately 7:20 pm on the 4200 block of Gault Place Northeast suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Satcher was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced dead. Page, 58, was arrested later that day and charged with first-degree murder while armed, but was put on release throughout the duration of his trial.
Judge Canan called Page’s remarks at sentencing Friday “completely out of touch.”
“The fact that you’re blaming virtually everyone except yourself, it’s inconceivable,” Judge Canan said. “Your conduct was outrageous sir.”
Page was found guilty of second-degree murder while armed, and related weapons offenses in connection with the shooting death of his step-son in June.
During trial, Page’s son, Adrian, told jurors that an argument he had with his father led to his brother’s death.
In an attempt to intervene in a disagreement over skipping school and an Xbox game system, Satcher stood between the two and said, “You’re not gonna shoot my brother.”
According to witnesses, Ronald Page then told Satcher to leave the house. While Satcher was collecting clothes from his room, the witnesses heard a gunshot.
Page rejected two government plea offers in the case, the last offer in May would have given him a 4-year sentence for Satcher’s death.
A press release from the US Attorney’s Office is below.
District Man Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonFor Confrontation Ending With Slaying of 22-Year-Old Stepson
-Shooting Followed Argument in Family’s Northeast Washington Home-WASHINGTON – Ronald Page, 61, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for second-degree murder while armed and other charges in a confrontation that ended with the slaying of his adult stepson, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Page was found guilty by a jury in June 2013 following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the murder charge, the jury found him guilty of charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and firearms offenses. He was sentenced by the Honorable Russell F. Canan.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 5, 2011, shortly after 7 p.m., Page was engaged in verbal argument with his 17-year-old son inside their family home in Northeast Washington. The defendant’s two adult stepsons were present during the argument. At one point, Page attempted to pick up a dining room chair and strike his son. However, one of the stepsons, Nicholas Satcher, 22, stopped him from doing so and told Page that he would not permit him to strike his little brother. Page then left the argument.
Rather than let the argument go, Page retrieved a gun. He pointed it at his son and one of his stepsons, Nicholas Satcher, 22. Then he ordered Nicholas Satcher to leave the room. Nicholas Satcher agreed to leave, but his stepfather followed him and fired the gun, fatally wounding him.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the officers, detectives and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Mia Beamon, Kelly Blakeney, Kendra Johnson, Sharon Newman and Marian Russell; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Criminal Investigator Christopher Brophy. He also expressed appreciation to Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Cobb, who investigated the case and secured the indictment. Finally, he thanked Jeffrey Ragsdale, Chief of the office’s Homicide Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Worm, who prosecuted the case.
