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Teen receives no additional jail time in murder of convenience store owner

Posted at 6:47 PM, Dec 04, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-04 18:47:04-05

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. – A teenager will spend no additional time behind bars, despite pleading guilty in the shooting death of a Chesterfield convenience store owner.

Tyqise Wilhite, 16, received a 50-year sentence for his involvement in the January 2016 death of Marketplace convenience store owner Harshad Patel.

All 50 years were suspended.

Harshad Patel

He was 14 at the time of the shooting.

Wilhite's older brother, Trayvon Wilhite, has already been sentenced to 40 years for first degree murder in the store owner’s death. Police say Trayvon was the triggerman in the attempted robbery.

Last year, Trayvon entered an Alford plea, which means he does not admit guilt, but acknowledges there is enough evidence from the prosecution to get a conviction.

Trayvon M. Wilhite

WTVR CBS 6 received copies of a transcript of Wilhite's interview with Chesterfield detectives after the incident. In the interview, Wilhite told police he never intended to shoot anyone, and it had been a robbery gone wrong. He said he was high on acid when it happened, and he did not remember pulling the trigger.

Thomas Jennings, who was also arrested in connection to the case, is still waiting to go to trial.

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