Teen is sentenced to six years for cousin's murder

Apr. 23—ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 15-year-old has been sentenced to six years behind bars in the shooting death of his cousin early last year in Southeast Albuquerque.

Jevyn Steadman pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder in the Jan. 29, 2020, killing of 29-year-old Lawrence Howard.

Steadman, who was 14 at the time of the murder, was sentenced as a juvenile and will be housed in a juvenile detention until he turns 21.

Steadman used a stolen gun to shoot Howard in an alleyway behind Steadman's father's house near San Pedro and Kathryn. Witnesses told police Howard had tried to calm Steadman during a dispute with his father — asking the teen to "step outside" — before he was shot.

"Securing an adult sentence in this case would not serve the interests of justice and would be very difficult to obtain in light of the testimony presented by essential witnesses and the issues surrounding the defendant's competency," said Lauren Rodriguez, director of policy and outreach at the 2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office. "The certainty of today's plea ensures that Mr. Steadman will be committed for the maximum allowed for juveniles while foregoing an amenability hearing that could have resulted in fewer years of commitment or even probation."

Todd Farkas, who was representing Steadman, did not respond to a request for comment.

Howard's family said six years is not enough and they felt "forced" into the plea agreement after prosecutors suggested the teen may only get probation through a trial.

"There was no justice in my son's death... We didn't have a say-so in any of this," said the victim's mother, Catherine Howard.

Ranitra Howard, Lawrence Howard's sister, said she believes there needs to be a better system for youthful offenders.

"Just because someone is young and they commit a heinous act doesn't mean that they're not liable ... because you think that they don't understand," she said.

She said her brother was "very loving" and did a lot for his community. In 2018, he made the news after he started a project to clean up underserved neighborhoods and used donations to throw a barbecue for the homeless population at a local park.

She said Howard was a "ray of sunshine" who often scribbled positive messages and carried them around.

"On the day he died he had a message in his pocket: 'On this day, things should be perfect. Life gets better if you want it to,' " Howard said.