KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Minutes before noon Wednesday, a shackled Dontae Jefferson walked into the courtroom to learn his fate for killing 34-year-old Ka’Vyea Tyson II and paralyzing his then 10-year-old son, Ka’Vyea Tyson Curry.
Tyson Curry’s mother, grandmother, and grandfather Forest Tyson Jr. made it a point to attend Wednesday’s sentencing.
In the courtroom, Tyson Jr., read a statement calling Jefferson “pure evil personified.”
Prosecutors also played the chilling security video of the April 2014 shooting that took place at a BP gas station at 45th Street and Cleveland Avenue.
“Every step he took he could have turned around got back in his own car and drove off,” Tyson Jr. said.
The motive? Revenge. Jefferson believed that Tyson II had snitched on him, which led Jefferson to serving time in prison before he even turned 18.
During Wednesday’s sentencing, Jefferson took the stand. He told the court he’s not the monster that everyone makes him out to be and apologized for his actions.
“I don’t accept his apology for taking those steps and squeezing that trigger 8 or 9 or 10 times,” Tyson Jr. said.
His now 13-year-old grandson, Tyson Curry, wasn’t in the courtroom.
“We asked if he wanted to come and he didn’t. I mean he was done with years ago. He’s now got to deal with the hand he was dealt,” Tyson Jr. said.
At the end, Judge Justine Del Muro sentenced Jefferson to life on four of five of his charges in the case and gave him the maximum on child endangerment, seven years.
“The pain that we feel or the hurt that we have – he’ll experience every single minute of every single day for the rest of his life,” Tyson Jr. said.
Jefferson is not done with the judicial system just yet.
Prosecutors said, while in jail, Jefferson has tried to escape, get a gun, and is accused of raping a woman. He goes on trial for that case in December.
