Jury finds La’mon Bradshaw guilty of second-degree murder of Eric Smith

Published 2:46 pm Wednesday, August 7, 2013

COURTLAND—La’mon Frederick Bradshaw has been found guilty of second-degree murder of Eric “E.T.” Smith, who was killed Nov. 8, 2012. The jury returned its verdict Wednesday in Southampton County Circuit Court, where the case began Monday morning.

Bradshaw, 18, was 17 years old when he was arrested and charged with aiding Sol “Dukey” Damascus Burke shoot Smith at his mother’s home on Pearl Street.

Burke allegedly killed Smith after Smith beat him up in September during an attempted robbery in Southampton County.

Originally, Bradshaw was charged with first-degree murder, but for reasons the jury didn’t share, they reduced it to a second-degree charge. He was also found guilty of the other charges, which were the use of a firearm in the commission of a murder, shooting in public and three counts of shooting at an occupied dwelling.

A pre-sentence report has been ordered for Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Bradshaw is expected to be moved from Southampton County Jail to Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Suffolk.

Burke is scheduled for a pre-trial Thursday, Sept. 19, with the trial set for Monday, Oct. 21.