A Monessen teenager has been handed a significant prison sentence after a guilty plea in the 2022 shooting death of his friend, local authorities report. Terry Newton, 17, faced sentencing for voluntary manslaughter in the killing of 16-year-old Amari Altomore, a tragic event that left a community mourning and a family grappling with an immeasurable loss, according to WPXI.
Newton, who once shared a friendship with Altomore, engaged in an act last November that would carry irreversible consequences, the encounter in his bedroom ended with Altomore being shot in the chest, and he later died at the hospital, this ill-fated incident occurred in Newton's home along S. 14th Street in the small town of Monessen. The gun used in the crime has not been recovered, and after the incident, Newton evaded capture for weeks before police were able to locate him, CBS News Pittsburgh reported.
As part of the sentencing, Newton will serve eight to 25 years in state prison, in addition to one year of supervised release, this decision comes after his earlier plea to the charges brought against him, the teen must also pay restitution for his actions, as per the announcement by Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli. Altomore is remembered by his family as "considerate, empathetic and respectful," especially within the ranks of the Greyhounds football team where he had been a valued member, as reported by WTAE.
Monessen, a town presumably unaccustomed to such harrowing events, saw its residents come together in the aftermath of the shooting to support Altomore's bereaved family, with the young man being posthumously honored as an outstanding football player who held deep love for his mother; the sentence, while it offers a legal closure, leaves an indelible pain in the fabric of this community, a loss spoken in hushed tones and remembrances of a life cut short, according to CBS News Pittsburgh
