Indiana man sentenced to 35 years in prison for killing pizza delivery man

HAMMOND, Ind. (TCD) -- A 23-year-old man was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday for killing a pizza delivery man in 2019.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana, Terryante A. Flournoy and his accomplice, 20-year-old Ciontay Wright, both of Gary, tried to rob David J. Shelton on Nov. 24, 2019, before fatally shooting him.

The Northwest Indiana Times reports that Flournoy and Wright pleaded guilty in June and admitted that they devised a plan to rob a pizza delivery driver to buy Wright’s girlfriend a birthday gift. They reportedly called Luigi’s Pizza in Gary to deliver a pizza to an empty house near Flournoy’s home in the 3700 block of Washington Street.

Upon Shelton’s arrival, Flournoy reportedly held up a rifle and demanded money, the Northwest Indiana Times reports. Shelton reportedly reached into his jacket as Flournoy shot and killed Shelton. Flournoy reportedly believed Shelton was reaching in for a gun and told Wright’s girlfriend, "This is the life." He and Wright fled the scene with no money, and Flournoy deleted all evidence and data from his cellphone, the Northwest Indiana Times says.

According to the Northwest Indiana Times, investigators were able to uncover the evidence and traced phone calls Flournoy made to Luigi’s Pizza. Additionally, they discovered a Facebook video that reportedly showed Flournoy throwing gang signs and holding what seemed to be the same rifle he used to kill Shelton.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that Flournoy and Wright were initially indicted for "attempted robbery affecting interstate commerce, conspiracy to commit robbery, and murder resulting from the use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to that attempted robbery."

According to the Northwest Indiana Times, during mitigation, federal defender Peter L. Boyles said that Flournoy suffers from mild mental illness and psychiatric disorders and that he endured a difficult childhood with a father he rarely saw because he was incarcerated for much of Flournoy’s life. On the other side, the Northwest Indiana Times reports that Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Padula argued that Flournoy had the attentiveness to plan an ambush against Shelton, obtain a relative’s rifle, and delete evidence from his cellphone.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon imposed the 35-year prison sentencing on Flournoy. The Northwest Indiana Times reports that he has prior convictions on his record, including theft and battery. Wright is scheduled to be sentenced Friday.

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