Fredricks Smith to spend life in jail for drive-by death of Darryl Lance Weaver Jr.

GRAND RAPIDS -- Usually when a person convicted of murder stands for sentencing, he or she manages to at least mumble out some sort of apology to the victim's family.

Fredricks Smith had nothing to say before he was sent to prison for life in the fatal drive-by shooting of 17-year-old Darryl Lance Weaver Jr. in March 2007.

Weaver's father said Smith's silence proves his guilt.

"He deserved what he got," said Weaver, wearing a T-shirt with his son's photo, after Circuit Judge Donald Johnston sentenced Smith. "He can't do anyone else any harm."

A jury convicted Smith last month.

Weaver was standing on the porch of a house near Cherry Street and Diamond Avenue SE with teenage friends when Smith, 26, showed up at the home in a car driven by Damoine Davis, 18. Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Jay Stone said Smith fired the shots that struck Weaver, who died about an hour later.

The teens on the porch at 250 Cherry Drive SE with Weaver identified Smith as the shooter, although they said Davis was the one who had a long-standing beef with Weaver. Davis, however, has not been charged due to lack of evidence, Stone said.

Many of Weaver's friends and family were at the sentencing, including his aunt Felicie Swift, who spoke to Smith prior to his sentencing.

"What would Darryl's journey have been? Because of you we will never know," Swift said. "I refuse to be victimized by the choice you made, so I don't hate you and, in time, I may forgive you."

Tags: Darryl, Fredricks, Jr., Lance, Smith, Weaver, death, drive-by, for, in, More…jail, life, of, spend, to

Comment by gwop gwop on June 18, 2008 at 2:49pm: what state wuz it in

Comment by D Mich on June 18, 2008 at 3:39pm: Grand Rapids, Michigan. Home of WTK (Willie The Kid)

Comment by texas76543chick on June 18, 2008 at 6:38pm: every man has to answer to a higher power at some point and time, when that time comes hopefully he will have something to say...

Comment by CHILLA PERTILLA on June 18, 2008 at 7:00pm: IT KINDA COLD LIKE THAT UP HERE! www.myspace.com/chillapertilla
I GOT A FIRE SONG WIT WILLIE THE KID

Comment by Johnathan Allen on June 19, 2008 at 1:55am: Buddy to bogus I send my blessings to the weaver family

Comment by Cass on June 19, 2008 at 3:49pm: It's not that cold up here in Michigan, it is only what ignorant males and females make it!!!! This was a ignorant act of violence that took a young man's life and its sad. I will keep both families in my prayers, because they all lost loved ones to ignorance. Come on people think before you act, thinking saves lives!!!!