‘Not the justice I wanted:’ Local man sentenced to 25 years for killing Jacksonville father of 5

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for manslaughter with a firearm after he pleaded guilty to shooting and killing a Jacksonville father of five.

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“Peace of mind finally. Not the justice that I wanted — but it’s justice,” Leontina Stokes, the victim’s mother said. Her son, Kristopher Blair, was shot and killed about 15 months ago in April last year.

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The man behind the trigger, Jermain Robinson, 21, was sentenced Monday. He originally pleaded not guilty to 2nd degree murder, then made a deal with prosecutors for manslaughter in May. The charge comes with a max of 30 years in prison.

According to court testimony, it started as a falling out between Blair’s girlfriend and her roommate, who was the owner of the home she lived in. Robinson is the roommate’s brother and there was an argument leading up to the shooting.

Blair and his girlfriend were trying to move her stuff out. According to testimony, they had to push in a back window to get inside. The defense argued they didn’t have a right to be there because they’d already given the key back to the homeowner.

READ: JSO: Man shot in front of home during drive-by shooting in Mixon Town, suspects unknown

Robinson shot and killed Blair after the argument that day.

“I just went numb. My youngest son called and said ‘Mom, Kris got shot and he’s not moving’,” Stokes said.

Robinson’s friends were also in court Tuesday. They said Robinson’s actions didn’t match the man they knew.

“A lot of people will be sick. Hurt. Depressed. I can’t do 30 years. It’s been a hard year not seeing him,” Robinson’s friend Nathaniel Wise told Action News Jax.

Its two lives essentially lost that Stokes said could’ve been avoided. She’s now writing a book with other mothers who’ve lost their children to gun violence.

“Put the guns down. It’s not worth it. You’re throwing your life away,” she said.

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