BECKLEY, W.V. (LOOTPRESS) – In Raleigh County Court on Monday, Demorrea Curry pleaded guilty to a murder that was committed in April of 2018.
According to Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Hatfield, Curry pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, as well as wanton endangerment, and received the maximum sentence for each. He will now serve 20 years in prison, 15 for voluntary manslaughter and 5 for the second charge.
Curry was indicted for first-degree murder for shooting and killing Corey Henry, one of two back seat passengers, in 2018. Curry was in the front passenger seat of the car and Tamara Grandjean, who is being charged as an accessory in the case, was driving.
While Hatfield chased the voluntary manslaughter plea, he states he didn’t believe it alone was enough of a penalty. Because of this, he also filed additional information charging Curry with wanton endangerment for jeopardizing the life of the second back seat passenger.
“It is a considerable sentence. Hopefully, it gives the victim’s family some closure and gives the community some closure that someone is being taken off the streets for a pretty considerable amount of time,” Hatfield stated.
“Today was an appropriate resolution given the facts and circumstance of the case. Today, we saw the culmination of a calculated risk being adverted…”
After the hearing, Curry was placed into the custody of the Department of Corrections (DOC). He is currently being housed at Southern Regional Jail as he waits to be transported.
Grandjean’s plea hearing is scheduled for June. Hatfield strongly believes that she will also enter into a guilty plea.
