Jurors found Jahaad Marshall guilty of 22 counts, including a terrifying home invasion and sexual assault that left the home owner paralyzed.
When it came to sentencing, the prosecution asked that Marshall get every second of time he was eligible for. The judge obliged with a minimum sentence of 263 years.
In some of those charges, the jury could have found Marshall guilty of lesser crimes, but they agreed to convict the 27-year-old on the very worst charges.
The conviction and sentencing finally brought to a close a horror story for victims across Raleigh and their families. They celebrated with tears.
It all started in December 2012 with middle-of-the-night robberies. In two of the robberies, the victims were ordered around by two masked gunmen. In the Oakwood case, a Lane Street man, Jason Beyer, was shot in the back and paralyzed when he came to the aid of his wife who was being sexually assaulted by the men.
Beyer told ABC11 that he was happy with the outcome. He went on to say he was thankful for everyone who worked on the case, and is ready to move on.
His wife's mother was grateful to jurors.
"You can never tell what 12 different people will think," said the victim's mother, Kathleen Healey. "I think I'm really happy and relieved that they saw it the way that we saw it."
"I think it was a just sentence. I think it reflects the seriousness of what he did," said Don Becom, who is the safety chairman for a neighborhood association in historic Oakwood.
Becom knows the Beyers family. He says the outcome of this trial is a victory for the entire community.
"We came together as a neighborhood," said Becom. "We're very supportive, not only for the folks it happened to -- all the neighbors around us."
The sentence of a minimum of 263 years behind bars came as a great relief to Pat Lovick. She, along with her husband, was terrorized by Marshall and his teenage brother Shabar a week before the Oakwood crime.
"I was worried a few of the, the murder and the sexual assault charges might get kind of nit picky and hard for a common person to really understand and, you know, just make decisions on," said Lovick. "But, hallelujah, they got him on all of them."
Marshall took the stand during his trial against his attorney's wishes. He blamed the crimes on his brother and a mysterious man named B.J. who looked like him.
Friday, it appeared that everyone in the courtroom believed it was all a big lie -- maybe even Marshall himself.
"I just want to apologize for everything, everything, and, that's it," said Marshall. "I just apologize for everything. I wish none of this had ever happened."
Jahaad Marshall's brother, Shabar, has already admitted to 15 total charges including first-degree sex offense and attempted murder in the incident at the Beyer's home. He will be sentenced Monday. He remains charged in the other home invasions. He could face more than 100 years in prison.
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