Judge Herbert Dixon sentenced Dietrich Baker to 23 years in prison Friday for the April 2012 death of 22-year-old James Ray Sherrod.
According to court documents, on April 28, 2012, around 1:40 p.m. police found Sherrod suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at the 700 block of Kenilworth Terrace NE near a bus stop. Sherrod was taken to a local hospital where he died.
Relying on the accounts of two witnesses and video from a surveillance camera, charging documents argue that Baker pulled out a handgun and shot Sherrod in the head at the bus stop. Then he shot him three more times in the body.
Two days later, Baker was arrested for second-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of Sherrod.
In April, Baker pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder charge while armed. His sentencing in August was postponed when Baker sought to withdraw his plea.
“There is a lot more to this case than people think,” Baker said in August. “There’s other witnesses that saw different things. There’s more to this case than me and my lawyer can bring to the table.”
A forensic evaluation was ordered by the judge and Baker’s request to withdraw the plea was denied.
The 23-year sentence was agreed to by attorneys on both sides.
