Man found guilty in 2022 Woodbridge double murder related to gang initiation
WOODBRIDGE, Va. (DC News Now) — A man was facing several years in prison for his involvement in the murder of two Woodbridge men during a Bloods street gang initiation in 2022.
According to the Office of the Commonwealth Attorney, on June 14, Anthony Perkins was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and gang participation involving a juvenile.
On May 15, 2022, 23-year-old Malik Xavier Lamar Davis and 23-year-old Christian Jamar Roberts were found dead at the Woodbridge Station Apartments. Detectives found out that two young teenagers killed them as part of the initiation process to join the Bloods gang.
The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney said Perkins, a gang member, informed the two teens that they would need to perform a criminal act to prove their loyalty.
During a party that one of the victims held, Perkins asked the juveniles if one of the victims were a member of a rivalry street gang. As the conservation continued, Perkins told the two teens that killing the victim would be their “work” to be a part of the gang.
It was later revealed that the pair decided to kill the second victim because they believed he had a gun and would shoot back.
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“Mr. Perkins is an adult who used his influence as a gang member to direct the murder of two individuals at the hands of two juveniles. This ultimately ended with the senseless deaths of two young men. So many lives have been affected by this criminal behavior,” Commonwealth’s Attorney, Amy Ashworth, stated in a news release. “Gang violence will not be tolerated in our community.”
The Attorney’s Office said a jury recommended a sentence of 70 years in prison.
Perkins’ sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3.
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