4 Toledoans sentenced for roles in deaths of 2 men

12/5/2012
BY ERICA BLAKE
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Calling the actions of the four men standing before him “deadly, violent, and lawless,” a Lucas County common pleas judge sentenced them to years in prison for their roles in crimes that resulted in the deaths of two men.

“This case contains the lethal combination of young men, guns, and drugs,” Judge Frederick McDonald said. “Two people are dead, two people were shot, and six people are going to prison.”

Sentenced were:

● Kurt Finley, 19, of 220 E. Pearl St., who pleaded guilty in March to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery, both with a one-year gun specification, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

● Samojay Edwards, 20, of 1123 Noble St., who pleaded no contest in April to involuntary manslaughter with a three-year gun specification, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

● Quandre Willingham, 22, of 1016 Baker St., who pleaded no contest in April to one count of aggravated robbery, and one count of felonious assault with a three-year gun specification, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

● Kevin Arnold, 22, of 55 Popular St., who pleaded guilty in April to aggravated robbery with a one-year gun specification, was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The four were among six men arrested for the armed robberies and deaths of Darnell Townsend-Tall on Nov. 7, 2011, and of Raynail Gaiter, three days later.

Police said Finley, along with co-defendants Reynard Lewis, 21, of 3815 Revere Dr. and Darrick Newsome, 19, of 3442 Beaumont Dr. went to Mr. Townsend-Tall’s home on East Weber Street, where he was robbed of cash and shot twice in the head. A woman in the house was also shot during the robbery.

Three days later, the three men, as well as Willingham, Edwards, and Arnold, went to Mr. Gaiter’s Ravine Park Village apartment, where three of them forced their way inside.

The men demanded property of Mr. Gaiter and another man, Sotero Thompson. Lewis shot Mr. Thompson in the abdomen and Mr. Gaiter in the head, authorities said.

Lewis was sentenced Nov. 16 to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. He had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of murder.

Newsome was sentenced Nov. 28 to 18 years in prison after entering a plea to one count of involuntary manslaughter with a gun specification and two counts of robbery.

The four men apologized in court Tuesday to the families of both of the slaying victims.

As he was led from the courtroom, Arnold looked toward Mr. Gaiter’s family and expressed sympathy for their loss.