TOLEDO, Ohio — A Lucas County judge delivered a sentencing to the Toledo man convicted in the murder of 10-year-old Damia Ezell, who was killed in a drive-by shooting two years ago.
The judge sentenced 21-year-old Dearryl Cornelious to life in prison with parole eligibility after 25 years Thursday for Ezell's murder, two days after he was convicted of several counts in her death. Cornelious was also sentenced to an additional 10 to 15 years for the count of attempted murder, six to nine years for felonious assault and three years for an additional charge of being in a gang.
The sentencing marks the end to legal proceedings in Ezell's murder, a case that ultimately ended in three people sentenced over the course of two years.
On Feb. 12, 2022, Cornelious, along with two others, were following a vehicle being driven by Damia's uncle, Kenneth White. When they reached the intersection of Collingwood Boulevard and West Delaware Avenue in the Old West End, "they shot White's car over a dozen times with 11 bullets wounding White and one hitting his niece," the press release states.
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Cornelious and Byron Cleveland, one of the others in the vehicle with Cornelious, followed White due to a "beef" they had with him, according to the prosecutor's office.
White's nephew, who was also in the vehicle, was not struck by the bullets.
Cleveland, 20, was sentenced last year to 39 years total in prison for the murder of Damia as well as the 2022 murder of Cayvon Wells. He has a maximum sentence of 53 years.
Carmanetta Wilson, 23, was the third person in Cornelious' vehicle. She pleaded no contest to obstructing justice and was sentenced last year to 30 months in prison.
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