TV star sentenced to 25 years to life for ‘calculated’ murder
He was branded a 'monster'.
Law & Order actor Isaiah Stokes has been sentenced to 25 years to life for murder.
The actor, 45, appeared in episodes of Blue Bloods, Power and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, was convicted of the 2021 murder of Tyrone Jones.
The victim, 37, was stalked by Stokes for four months after an altercation at Jones’ birthday party.
He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head and chest on February 7, 2021, in Queen’s, New York, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Stoke was arrested five months later, and found guilty of murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
He was sentenced on Friday, after being found guilty following a two-week jury trial on March 13.
According to MailOnline, Stokes defiantly muttered at the judge, who erupted over his interrupting during the sentencing remarks.
The actor appeared in Law & Order: SVU (Picture: NBC)Judge Kenneth Holder said: ‘I don’t care what you said! I don’t care if you maintain your innocence, you are more guilty than anyone I’ve seen in this courtroom!
‘You thought staying in jail for as long as you can would do wonders for your movie career when you got out.
‘But here’s the problem, you have to get out and you’re not getting out, no-one can intentionally plan a murder and carry it out as stupidly as you did.
‘You were angry over a beatdown you got months earlier, you had all that rage consuming you for months and hatched this ridiculous plan.
‘You hunted down Jones and shot him 11 times and ensured he would die… ironically the murderous rage you undertook presents you with the notoriety you hope for.
‘You’re now an example of how one can completely ruin their life in the blink of an eye.’
Stokes starred in the likes of Power and Blue Bloods (Picture: Starz)He added: ‘You have some small degree of talent, impressive talent, what makes this whole thing so perplexing.
‘Why would you throw all this away for a fight that you said was “no big deal”… that clearly was a lie.’
Queen’s District Attorney Katz Melinda Katz had said in a statement: ‘Justice has now been served for the premeditated murder perpetrated by this defendant and he will now spend 25 years to life in prison as a direct consequence of his criminal actions.’
The DA had earlier said in a statement: ‘This was a calculated murder. The defendant, a part-time actor, stewed for months after being thrown out of a [2020] birthday party for his own inappropriate behavior [toward female party guests].’
The court heard how Stokes was ‘intent on revenge’ and placed a GPS on Jones’ car and tracked him down before ‘ruthlessly’ shooting him 11 times as he sat in his parked car.
‘My office is laser-focused on gun violence, and we will utilize every tool at our disposal to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those who use deadly guns on our streets. I thank our prosecutors and the NYPD detectives who built this case,’ the DA said.
Stokes was branded a ‘monster’ by the victim’s family (Picture: BILLY FARRELL/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)A victim statement from Jones’ father branded Stokes a ‘monster’, adding: ‘TJ was fun, loving, he is my son, a brother, uncle and a nephew.
‘What I don’t want to remember is the day that you decided to murder my son.
‘I lost my only son on February 7 2021, TJ did not die from a car accident or a disease but by the hand of a monster, Isaiah Stokes
‘Isaiah, you stalked my son, you followed TJ for weeks, but TJ… What did TJ do to you?
‘As TJ sat in his car and was unaware… You lied to everyone! I got to go to the cemetery to talk to my son in a grave.’
According to his IMDb, Stokes was a hip hop and jazz artist as well as actor, having held roles in Boardwalk Empire, Louie, and Rescue Me, where he plays the role of a shooter.
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