NEW YORK _ The 14-year-old who pleaded guilty to robbery in connection to the brutal stabbing death of Barnard College student Tessa Majors was handed down the maximum sentence of 18 months in juvenile detention on Monday.
The 5-foot-5 defendant, who was taken into custody a day after Majors' murder, had admitted to participating in the robbery that led to Majors' death and picking the murder weapon up off the ground shortly before it was used to kill her.
The sentence handed down by Manhattan Family Court Judge Carol Goldstein was the maximum possible time the teen could have received for his role in the killing.
"Ms. Majors was a bright, promising and talented young woman who had just begun to explore life as a college student in New York City when she was tragically and senselessly murdered. While we have brought this portion of this horrific case to a close, we know that the pain of this loss will endure," Corporation Counsel James E. Johnson said in a statement.
"Outside of the courtroom, we know that no resolution can diminish the loss and grief suffered by the Majors family. There are remaining defendants being prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which provided us with tremendous assistance with this case."
Majors, of Charlottesville, Va., was jogging down a set of steps in Morningside Park shortly before 7 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2019, when she was confronted by the teen and two of his friends, Rashaun Weaver and Luchiano Lewis.
Lewis and Weaver, both 14 at the time of their February arrests, were charged with second-degree murder in the case as adults. They are both in custody waiting to go to trial.
