23-Year Prison Sentence In Death Of French Artist In Detroit
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A man who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old French street artist in Detroit will spend at least two decades behind bars.
Wayne County Judge Bruce Morrow ordered the punishment Thursday for Drequone Rich. The 21-year-old will be eligible for parole after 23 years. His maximum prison sentence is 40 years.
The story made national headlines when Bilal Berreni's body was found July 29, 2013, outside the dilapidated Frederick Douglass Homes — more commonly knows at the Brewster projects. The long vacant housing project has since been demolished.
Berreni, of Paris, had no identification, and it took seven months before police identified him through fingerprints. He died from a gunshot wound to the head. According to family members, the young artist — who painted large pieces in black and white on buildings — occasionally may have lived as a squatter in vacant structures.
Three others were charged in the case. Jasin Curtis, who pleaded guilty back in May to second-degree murder, was sentenced to 25 to 40 years in prison.
Eighteen-year-old Dionte Travis, who was convicted of armed robbery, was sentenced to 16 to 40 years in prison. A hung jury led to a mistrial last month on murder and gun charges. Travis' retrial on those charges is scheduled for Nov. 30.
A separate trial was ordered in juvenile court for the youngest defendant, who was 14 years old at the time of the killing. His name has not been made public due to his age.
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