NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – A local family is asking questions after a man accused in a double homicide has been offered a plea to much lesser charges.

Kenyatta Jones shot and killed Alicia Hereford and her daughter Morgan Bazemore on March 12, 2021. Prosecutors say Jones and Bazemore had an on and off relationship.

New court documents sent to 10 On Your Side detail that a witness called 911 to an apartment complex on Goff Street. In a preliminary hearing, that same witness testified to seeing Jones arguing and shooting the two women. Officers found a gun in Bazemore’s purse located near her body.

“The purse was unopened and there is no evidence the gun was ever removed from the purse,” according to the stipulation-of-fact document.

Jones was originally charged with two counts of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Last Friday, just days before the jury trial was scheduled to begin, Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter in Norfolk Circuit Court.

The victims’ family contacted 10 On Your Side following the plea agreement. An aunt who did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation said, “we have been robbed.”

“Our girls are gone,” she said. “He shot my niece in the head. He shot Alicia three times.”

Her family and friends asked WAVY.com to investigate what happened to the gun charges.

“It’s just completely unacceptable,” she said.

The plea agreement does not include gun charges. The agreement also states: “The defendant’s active sentence shall not exceed eight (8) years.”

A judge will determine the sentence in July.

“My niece is worth more than four years,” her aunt said. “Alicia is worth way more than four years. It’s a huge concern we’re just working on all that we can.”

The family believes the gun charges would have added time behind bars.

“People are outraged, they are sick,” she said. “I’ve seen people break down and cry when they find out about it.”

She said if this was a matter of witness cooperation, she would ask the witnesses to consider that “it could be someone in your family and you would want (people to speak up). I so appreciate all that they have done because they didn’t have to do that much but carry it through. Follow through with it.”

The family is hopeful something will change.

“This isn’t justice, not at all,” the aunt said. “I want what we deserve, I want what they deserve.”

Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said he could not go into much of case until the judge completes sentencing. Fatehi tells WAVY- TV 10 he takes this case extremely seriously.

He said, “in the interest of the community, we made this deal.”

In response to the lack of gun charges, Fatehi said the charges that drive the case are the homicide charges, not the gun charges. He added the argument on sentencing would essentially be unchanged with the gun charges.

A judge will decide if he will serve the full eight years or not at 11 a.m. July 14.