Jury deadlocked in sentencing decision for man convicted in rapper’s death
Jurors failed to decide on a penalty Monday for a man they convicted in the 2019 shooting death and robbery of a Las Vegas area-rapper.
Last week, the jury convicted 27-year-old Angell Fernandez of first-degree murder, attempted murder, battery, burglary and a weapons charge, as well as multiple robbery counts.
After more than four hours of deliberations on Friday, and another two hours on Monday, the jury was deadlocked on the question of what sentence Fernandez should receive.
District Judge Jacqueline Bluth told attorneys that jurors had reported they were “not making any movement at all.”
The jury was asked to choose between three potential sentences for Fernandez: 20 to 50 years in prison, life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years, or life without the possibility of parole.
Bluth now will decide Fernandez’s sentence during a court hearing on July 20.
Fernandez was one of three men arrested in connection with the death of 40-year-old Ronnie Cravens Jr., a rapper known as Succeed Phlyguy. Prosecutors have said Fernandez planned the home invasion and robbery at the Henderson home where Cravens lived with his roommates.
Two masked men, including Fernandez, broke into the home on Oct. 12, 2019, and Fernandez was linked to a firearm shot 12 times during the ensuing gunfight, prosecutors have said. One roommate was shot in the leg, while Cravens died of multiple gunshot wounds.
Prosecutors have said Fernandez was linked to the killing through pizza deliveries sent to Cravens’ home in the days prior to the shooting, which were made to conduct surveillance on the house.
“Angell Fernandez was appropriately held accountable for not only ending the life of Ronnie Cravens, but also for the torment he inflicted on the three other surviving victims,” prosecutors Michelle Fleck and Christopher Hamner said in a statement on Monday.
During the penalty phase of the trial, defense attorneys emphasized that Fernandez, who is an Army veteran, did not fire the shot that killed Cravens.
Last month, 30-year-old Michael Mosley was sentenced to between 12 and 30 years in prison for his role in the robbery and shooting. A third suspect in the case, 40-year-old Wahid Briley, is scheduled to go to trial in January.
Defense attorney Dan Winder said his client intends to appeal the jury’s verdict.
“We still want him to get the most lenient sentence possible,” Winder said Monday.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.