South Bend man sentenced to 75 years for murder of teenager in July 2020
SOUTH BEND — A 20-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday to 75 years in prison for killing a South Bend teenager who was supposedly the man's friend.
Daveyuan Groves, who was 19 years old at the time of the murder, was found guilty in a trial held in early November and sentenced Wednesday to 55 years in prison for fatally shooting 19-year-old Jeremiah Parker. Prosecutors sought and received an additional 20 years to the sentence because the crime was committed with a firearm.
Parker was killed on July 3, 2020 while riding in his friend's car, court records show. As the pair were riding in the 1600 block of Marine Street, they stopped because the driver recognized Groves and stopped to talk to him.
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According to court documents, Groves asked if Parker was in the car. Parker stuck out his hand "in a friendly way," but Groves shot him multiple times in the chest, court documents say. Police would later find the car crashed into a nearby tree with Parker lying dead in the front passenger seat.
Groves was charged with murder in mid-July of that year, but was not arrested until late February by U.S. Marshals.
A jury deliberated for less than two hours on Nov. 3 before finding Groves guilty of the murder.
In a previous interview with The Tribune, Parker's family said Parker was a recent graduate of Riley High School and played linebacker on the football team.
Email Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @marek_mazurek
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend man sentenced to 75 years in prison for 2020 murder of teenager
