King to Serve 50+ Years

March 18, 2010

Detavis King has been sentenced 100+ years in prison for the murder of Ryan Matko. The judge suspended 50 years of King's sentence meaning King will serve the next 53 years behind bars. The additional three years is the result of a fire arms charges related to the murder.

August 12, 2009 3:49 p.m.

Detavis King is found guilty of first-degree murder and felony firearms charges in the death of Ryan Matko. It took the jury just two hours to reach that decision.

King showed no emotion as the verdict was read, but turned around and mouthed the words, "I love you" to his girlfriend moments before.

King's family was not in the courtroom as the verdict was read but his four friends cried afterwards.

A judge will sentence King in November because he was just 16 when the crime happened.

August 12, 2009 2:12 p.m. The jury is now deliberating in the murder trial of the teen accused of killing Ryan Matko.

Chesterfield's Commonwealth's Attorney, wielding the gun he calls the murder weapon, ended closing arguments on a very emotional note.

Friends and family members of Ryan Matko sobbed as Billy Davenport demonstrated to the jury how he believed Matko was gunned down two years ago.

Davenport told the jury that all the evidence points to Detavis King as the killer.

The prosecution relied on heavily on the testimony of a teenager, Dominique Johnson, who testifed he purchased a gun from Detavis King. Prosecutors say that gun was used in Matko's murder and was given to Johnson by King on the day of the killing.

The defense attorney for Detavis King however, argued the teen who purchased the gun was mistaken about the day he purchased it. Greg Sheldon told a jury he believes Johnson received the gun from Detavis King at least ten days before Matko was killed. He told the jury that means there is no way King could have murdered Matko because he didn't have the weapon.

Sheldon ended his closing arguments by telling the jury he believes Johnson is the killer.

The jury is now deliberating the case. They're instructed to come up with either a guilty or innocent verdict but the judge will impose the sentence if he's found guilty. That's because King was 16 at the time of the murder. He's charged with first-degree murder and felony firearms charges.

Keep it here on CBS 6 and www.wtvr.com for the latest.

UPDATE: August 11, 2009 5:30 p.m. There was a big focus Tuesday, on the murder weapon prosecutors believe was used to kill Ryan Matko.

A teen took the stand saying he purchased a gun from Detavis King and a ballistics expert told the jury that bullets from Matko's body matched the gun prosecutors showed in court.

The medical examiner also took the stand sharing some pretty graphic testimony about how Matko died. It was so emotional that Matko's family members had to step outside during the testimony.