Delonzo Logwood Sentenced to 12 years In State Prison For One Count Of Voluntary Manslaughter
Plea deal comes after Judge initially rejected plea bargain which would have
resulted in a longer sentence for the only case that was provable
OAKLAND, CA – On July 13, 2023 Judge Mark McCannon accepted a plea bargain approved by the District Attorney’s office, the Alameda County Probation Department and Delonzo Logwood’s attorneys, sentencing him to 12 years in state prison for the murder of Eric Ford. On June 15, Mr. Logwood entered his no contest plea to an agreed upon deal-voluntary manslaughter (PC192(a)) and a firearm enhancement (PC12022 (a)(1)) which added an additional year for the use of a firearm. The charges against Mr. Logwood for the murders of Richard Carter and Zaire Washington were previously dismissed for insufficient evidence.
“This plea bargain is supported by the facts, the evidence and the law and it is consistent with our responsibility to see that justice is done. I was elected to make difficult but fair decisions, and I am not playing political games with these cases,” said District Attorney Pamela Price.
In 2015, Mr. Logwood was charged with the murders of Eric Ford, Richard Carter and Zaire Washington. The evidence against Mr. Logwood for the murders of Mr. Carter and Mr. Washington came exclusively from a cooperating witness involved in the murders who had nearly 12 years slashed from his 31-year sentence in exchange for his testimony. The team of experienced lawyers who reviewed the case after DA Price took office found the witness’ testimony to be extremely problematic. Important parts of his testimony were contradicted by other evidence and ultimately, he refused to testify at all. The case fell apart after 8 years of a botched prosecution.
In March, Judge Mark McCannon created a firestorm of international publicity when he rejected the initial plea bargain for 15 years. Ultimately, Judge McCannon accepted the District Attorney’s evaluation of the evidence and dismissed two of the three murder charges. Today, Judge McCannon approved the plea bargain, resulting in a sentence less than the one that DA Price’s team had negotiated in February.
“There is a reason this case languished for so long. My administration inherited difficult, unresolvable cases from the O’Malley administration and we are cleaning up the messes. The fact is Mr. Logwood was unfairly overcharged by my predecessor. I was elected to whatever I can to make sure justice is served properly and fairly. It is our obligation to follow the evidence and not prosecute someone who we do not believe a jury will find guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That is the standard we are upholding in our office going forward.”
## Contact: Public Information Officer Patti Lee, Patti.Lee@acgov.org // 628-249-1288
* * *
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office (DAO) is one of California’s largest prosecutors’ offices and is led by Alameda County’s first Black woman District Attorney Pamela Y. Price. Price brings her vision to this office to fairly administer justice in the pursuit of thriving, healthy, and safe communities for every person who steps foot in Alameda County, no matter their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, income, or zip code. Price has been recognized as one of the most progressive prosecutors through her forward-thinking, innovative strategies to interrupt cycles of violence and crime and bring change to a criminal justice system rooted in systemic racism. Follow Madam DA on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and @AlamedaCountyda on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.