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45 Years for 2009 Murder in Newport News
A Williamsburg man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for his role in the 2009 murder of Louis Joseph Jr. in Newport News, Virginia.
Mark Xavier Wallace, 37, was convicted along with co-defendants Joseph James Cain Benson and Bryan Lamar Brown for the brutal murder of Louis Joseph, who was beaten and shot multiple times at his Denbigh home while babysitting a five-year-old child.
According to court documents, Wallace organized the home invasion and recruited Benson and another individual who traveled from Boston to Williamsburg to commit the home invasion to obtain money and drugs. Brown transported the co-defendants to Joseph’s house and supplied the two firearms used in the murder.
Benson was sentenced to life in prison on July 24, while Brown received a 45-year sentence on July 19. Wallace was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
“We will remain steadfast in our fight against violent crime in Tidewater and are increasing our resources as we speak,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Today’s sentence reflects what happens to those who commit heinous crimes of violence.”
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and making neighborhoods safer. U.S. Attorney Terwilliger praised the prosecutors, the FBI, and the Newport News Police Department for their work on the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa R. McKeel and Howard J. Zlotnick prosecuted the case. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Terwilliger, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police.
A copy of the press release and related court documents can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:17-cr-45.
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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