Wayne Ellington Jr. got some bittersweet closure when a man accused of killing the Nets guard’s father was sentenced to 30-to-60 years in prison after pleading guilty.
Online court documents show Carl White pleaded guilty to third degree murder (as well as other charges) in a deal with prosecutors on Tuesday, after the jury was selected for his trial in Philadelphia.
“For my family [it’s closure] for sure. It’s a bittersweet thing. You always want justice to be served. But at the same time none of that could ever bring my father back,’’ Ellington said. “But for the guy to get what he deserves and not be let off or anything like that obviously is great for my family.’’
White wanted to accept responsibility for his actions, according to his lawyer, James Berardinelli.
Berardinelli said White knows he will be in prison for a long time and is “hoping to come out a changed man.”
Wayne Ellington Sr. was found dead on the 5200 block of Marion Street in North Philadelphia on Nov. 9, 2014. He had been shot once in the head and was found in the driver’s seat of his red Oldsmobile, which had struck several parked cars.
White was arrested Dec. 4 of that year. Police said an argument may have sparked the shooting.
“[My father] meant a lot. He meant a whole lot. You only get one father,’’ Ellington said. “The father-son relationship is a little bit different from any other relationship. I’m the only boy [in my family], so it was a great bond we had obviously, and I’m going to carry it on. He’s going to live on through me.”
With Associated Press