Norfolk Teen Pleads Guilty to 2nd Degree Murder From 2021 Shooting
NORFOLK, Va. – A 16-year-old was convicted in Norfolk Circuit Court on Friday of second-degree murder for, while he was 14, fatally shooting 47-year-old Glenn Bryant Kreps.
On July 18, 2021, Mr. Kreps was visiting with friends at an apartment building on A View Avenue in West Ocean View. Mr. Kreps noticed the defendant walking down the avenue, and due to an earlier incident between the two, Mr. Kreps exchanged words with him. Mr. Kreps then left the apartment, approached the defendant to continue arguing with him, and followed the defendant for a short time. The defendant then pulled a gun and shot Mr. Kreps multiple times. Mr. Kreps retreated back into the apartment, ultimately succumbing to his injuries.
On Friday, Judge David W. Lannetti accepted a plea agreement in which the teen agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder, to be committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice as a serious offender until the age of 21, and to a suspended prison sentence of 20 years conditioned on his completion of the serious offender program and 20 years of good behavior.
“Children can do serious and violent things, but science shows that children are incapable of controlling their impulses in the same way as adults until about the age of 25,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “That is why the law treats children differently and why, since taking office, I have sent no child in Norfolk to adult prison. I mourn for Mr. Kreps and his family. We have held this child accountable in a way appropriate to his age, prioritizing rehabilitation and with a suspended sentence in case, as an adult, this child takes the wrong path. I will continue to hold children appropriately accountable without repeating the mistakes of the past.”
Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Andrew Kolp prosecuted the teen’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and former Norfolk Police Detective Jemal S. Davis led the investigation.
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