VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A 22-year-old Virginia Beach man has been sentenced to 30 years in the fatal shooting of another man in 2018.
The Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney says Bobby Cason was sentenced on Monday on charges of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted robbery and three counts of use of a firearm.
A Circuit Court judge sentenced Cason to 63 years in prison with 33 years suspended, leaving 30 years to serve, which is the maximum sentence under his plea agreement.
Cason pleaded guilty in August 2021. He was initially also charged with second-degree murder, but it was later withdrawn.
The charges stem from an incident on the morning of November 29, 2018. Officials say the victim, 22-year-old Devin Bell, was alone in his home on Black Duck Court in Virginia Beach.
Cason, who was unknown to Bell, knocked on his door. Bell did not open the door but had a strange conversation with Cason. He then noticed that Cason continued to hang around the condominium complex.
Bell contacted some friends to come help him check out the situation.
When Bell’s friends arrived at the complex, officials say Cason came up to one of them, armed with a handgun with an extended magazine, and demanded the man’s belongings. The man had nothing but a cup of coffee, so Cason turned toward Bell and said he “needed something.”
Bell pulled out his cell phone and told Cason to take it. Cason then pulled a second handgun from his pocket and demanded that Bell take him inside his house.
A struggle ensued, which led to Cason shooting Bell, who died shortly after. The medical examiner determined that the muzzle of the gun was pressed against Bell’s neck when he was shot.
According to court documents, Cason fled the scene with both guns following the shooting.
He was later linked to the crime through Ring doorbell footage. He was wearing latex gloves at the time of the shooting. Authorities found a latex glove near Bell’s body, which was later found to contain Cason’s DNA.
Although no handguns were recovered, investigators found a magazine containing bullets at Cason’s grandparents’ house which was the same as the shell casing found near Bell’s body.
At his grandparents’ and parents’ houses, police say they also recovered shoes and a latex glove matching Cason’s clothing seen in the doorbell footage.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
