From the
Philadelphia Daily News:
A judge yesterday convicted a 28-year-old man of four counts of first-degree murder for shooting numerous times into a narrow Southwest Philly bar two years ago and killing four people, including his own uncle.
Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner then sentenced Vonzell "Pooh" Roundtree to four mandatory terms of life in prison, to be served concurrently.
The prosecution had decided not to proceed with the death penalty after Roundtree agreed to a nonjury trial.
Evidence at the trial showed that Roundtree fired a 9 mm Beretta at least eight times in Abay Wheelers Bar, on 62nd Street near Wheeler, about 12:30 a.m. July 22, 2007, shortly after a televised boxing match ended.
Roundtree told police that he saw a couple of men punching his uncle in the bar, and that he pulled out his gun in an attempt to protect his uncle, Jamar Thompson.
"I fired until the gun was empty," he said.
But Roundtree ended up killing his uncle, 31, and shooting his uncle's friend, Gallmon, 36, who was not part of the fight that Thompson had with others. Gallmon died about a month later, on Aug. 24.
Roundtree also shot dead the two men whom he said he saw punching his uncle - Claude Snelling, 30, and Arthur Jennings, 20.
Defense attorney David Nenner contended in his closing argument yesterday that Roundtree was "substantially intoxicated" that night from having smoked PCP and marijuana and drinking alcohol, and was unable to form a specific intent to kill.
Nenner called to the stand two witnesses yesterday.
Edward Barbieri, of
NMS Labs, in Willow Grove, testified that hair samples collected from Roundtree 16 days after the shooting tested positive for PCP and Ecstasy.
He said that the drugs could have been taken about two weeks before the samples were collected.
Psychologist Steven Samuel testified that based on interviews he had with Roundtree, and on Roundtree's statement to police, he did not think that Roundtree formed a specific intent to kill because of the amount of drugs and alcohol that the defendant allegedly ingested before the shooting.
Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Selber yesterday agreed in her closing argument that Roundtree was under the influence of PCP, marijuana and alcohol that night. But she pointed out that the intoxication did not rise to the level where Roundtree could not form decisions, including a specific intent to kill.