judge in Charlottesville heard evidence Friday to determine the competency of Waverly "Eddie" Whitlock. Whitlock said in May that he would plead guilty to the murder of an 11-year-old boy only if he was sentenced to death by a judge.
Whitlock was found competent by the judge Friday morning and entered a plea agreement a few moments later. Whitlock plead guilt to ten charges, including the murder of 11-year-old Aziz Damar Booth.
However, Whitlock was not sentenced to death by the judge, in large part due to the victim's family's wishes to not have Booth's murder linked to another death. Instead, Whitlock will serve six life sentences with no chance of parole.
Whitlock plead guilty to capital murder, robbery, and other crimes for death of Booth in 2008 at a home on Six-and-a-half Street in Charlottesville.
A detective on the case told the court that back in June of 2008, Reuben Lewis called police saying he and his step-son, Aziz Booth, had been shot by Whitlock. The detective said Lewis opened the door to Whitlock, Whitlock asked to borrow $10, Lewis agreed, then Whitlock pulled a gun. Whitlock told Booth, who was there at the time, that everything would be OK if he did as he was told.
Booth placed video games in a bag for Whitlock, who then ordered the boy to duct tape Lewis. Lewis told Whitlock he would not report it, but when Whitlock asked if Booth would, Lewis said he was a scared child, and he may tell his mom.
That is when Whitlock shot the child in cold blood.
"It's really hard to hear that the last words of a young man are 'please don't kill me, I love my mother.' This is part of the reason the case had to be concluded in a way in which Mr. Whitlock just couldn't be allowed to be out anymore," said Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, Claude Worrell.
Booth died of a gun shot wound to the neck.
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