Coleman gets 40 to 80 years for murder
Jun. 24—MERCER — After telling the court he accepted "full responsibility," Jaylaun Coleman of Farrell was sentenced Wednesday to 40 to 80 years in prison for the murder of 21-year-old Tyrone T. Cornish.
Under a plea agreement struck in March for the Aug. 11, 2018, fatal shooting, Common Pleas Judge Daniel P. Wallace could have mitigated the sentence or lengthened it by making each count consecutive. Coleman, 21, had pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, carrying a firearm without a license, unlawful possession, and 12 counts of reckless endangerment.
The shooting occurred in front of a crowd in the Willow Village apartment parking lot at West Budd Street and Sterling Avenue in Sharon. Assistant District Attorney Rob Hartley said Cornish had testified at a robbery trial against Coleman and put him in state prison when he was 15. Coleman's hatred for him festered, leading to his eventual murder, Hartley said.
Wallace said he stuck to the plea deal because Coleman was 18 when he committed the crime and, therefore, did not fully understand the long-term consequences of his actions.
"You shot someone in front of a crowd of people," Wallace said. "What were you thinking? You weren't thinking."
Wallace also said poverty and an unstable family environment helped drive Coleman to the streets.
"You didn't have a chance," Wallace said.
The judge said, however, he was moved that Coleman took responsibility for his actions.
The sentence breaks down to 20 to 40 years for third-degree murder, 3 1/2 to 7 years for carrying a firearm without a license, 11 1/2 to 23 years for 12 counts of reckless endangerment, and 5 to 10 years for unlawful possession of a firearm. The sentences are to be served consecutively in a state prison.
During her victim impact statement, Etta Currie, Cornish's grandmother, showed Coleman pictures of her grandson.
"This has been very hard on me," Currie said. "I cried every day since my grandson died."
Currie said some family members could not come to the sentencing hearing because they were still grieving almost three years later.
"I will never get over this," Currie said. "I hope, while you're in there, you think about what you did."
When Coleman was 15, he was convicted on robbery charges and served time in Pine Grove State Correctional Institution in Indiana County, which accommodates juveniles convicted of adult crimes.
Coleman was one of two masked robbers who went into George Street Market in Sharon. They did not get any cash and ran from the store. Because Coleman used a gun, he was charged as an adult, police said.
Police said Cornish was detained at the scene but was never charged in the crime.
The judge advised Coleman to take advantage of opportunities to better himself in prison, so that in 40 years with good behavior, he can lead a normal life.
Sharon police responded to the shooting at 5:22 p.m. Aug. 11, 2018, outside the apartment complex.
Police found Cornish shot once in the neck in the parking lot. He was taken to a local hospital where he died.
The apartment complex had high-definition security cameras, which enabled Sharon detectives to get images of the crime. The images showed Coleman firing the fatal shot. District Attorney Peter C. Acker said one of the pictures showed Coleman trying to shoot the victim a second time, but the gun jammed.
Follow Melissa Klaric on Twitter and Facebook @HeraldKlaric, email: mklaric@sharonherald.com
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been edited to remove a quote attributed to Etta Currie. Currie said someone else made the statement.
