A Pierce County judge on Friday ordered 20 years and five months in prison for Bobby Joe Ezra Plain, who pleaded guilty in April to first-degree manslaughter in the May 15, 2023 shooting of 28-year-old Chantelle Grayson near Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue corridor. Prosecutors said they had cell phone records and surveillance footage tying Plain to the scene, and Grayson’s family delivered emotional statements before the sentence was handed down.
According to The News Tribune, prosecutors told the court that phone data and video showed Plain trailing Grayson and her boyfriend from a fast-food restaurant to a convenience store, then to the 700 block of North Junett Street. There, they said, Plain confronted the pair, argued over gas money and ultimately shot Grayson in the head. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Richard Weyrich urged the 20-year sentence, telling the court, “This wasn’t her fight.” Plain had originally been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, charges that were later reduced as part of plea negotiations.
2010 Gang Crackdown And Past Sentences
Plain’s history with the criminal justice system dates back to a 2010 investigation into the Hilltop Crips. A Washington Court of Appeals opinion describes how Plain pleaded that year to first-degree robbery with a firearm enhancement and second-degree assault, receiving a 204-month prison term as part of the deal. The opinion spells out the facts supporting his plea and details later challenges he brought against his convictions and sentence.
How The 2010 Sweep Figures In
The 2010 operation that led to roughly 32 arrests drew significant attention at the time, and prosecutors pointed to it again on Friday as evidence of what they called a pattern of violent conduct. Reporting from that period describes a broad, multi-agency investigation into an 18‑month string of robberies, assaults and other crimes tied to the Hilltop Crips. That prior record, attorneys and prosecutors said in court, helped shape the state’s latest sentencing recommendation.
Family Impact And Court Remarks
Per The News Tribune, Plain had been out of prison only since May 2022 and was under Department of Corrections community custody when Grayson was killed, a circumstance prosecutors cited in arguing for a tougher sentence. Grayson’s relatives described her as a tireless worker and caregiver and urged the court to impose a lengthy term. Addressing the judge, Plain said, “I’m truly sorry,” before Judge Alicia Marie Burton imposed the 20-year, five-month sentence.
Legal Notes
Court filings indicate prosecutors relied on a mix of phone records, surveillance footage and witness identifications to build their case, and that disputes over whether certain statements could be used at trial complicated their approach before the plea. For information about the court that handled the case, see Pierce County Superior Court’s public information. The shift from murder counts to a manslaughter plea reflects negotiations in which both sides weighed evidentiary risks and potential sentencing outcomes.
Plain will be returned to state custody to begin serving his term. Court records will document the final judgment, along with how his community-custody credit and release eligibility are calculated under Washington law.
