CANTON ‒ Dontae T. Crayton died because Savier D. Smiley couldn't handle Crayton telling him to shut up and stay out of the business between him and the young man's mother, who was Crayton's fiancée.
Assistant Stark County Prosecutor Kristen L. Mlinar told that to a judge at Smiley's sentencing hearing on Thursday. She also said Smiley, 19, is a violent person who had been convicted of five burglaries as a juvenile. He was barred from having a gun because of those convictions.
Stark County Common Pleas Judge Natalie R. Haupt sentenced Smiley to 16 to 21.5 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, having weapons under disability, and a specification that a gun was used in the fatal shooting on Oct. 20.
Verdict: Canton man found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for shooting mother's fiancé
"You're at a crossroads, it seems to me," Haupt told Smiley. "The choice is yours going forward whether you've learned, how you behave going forward."
The shooting followed an argument between Crayton, 37, and Smiley's mother, Yolanda Jones, at their Maple Avenue NE home in Canton.
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During an opening statement at Smiley's jury trial, defense attorney Keith A. Warstler Jr. said Crayton pinned Jones against a wall and spat on her, provoking Smiley.
Savier D. Smiley speaks
The manslaughter charge said that Smiley killed Crayton while committing the crime of aggravated assault. The aggravated assault charge says Smiley shot Crayton in a sudden passion or fit of rage brought on by "serious provocation."
Given the chance to speak on his own behalf before being sentenced, Smiley said, "I never meant for this to happen, for these events to occur. I can't change it. I truly am sorry. I know I was wrong for what I did. I would just ask that you have forgiveness for me. I've made mistakes. We all do."
Mlinar said Smiley had not learned anything from last nine months he has spent in jail, and the charges filed against him.
She said he had committed multiple acts of violence in the county jail, including one this week that sent the victim to the hospital. Smiley himself had to go to a hospital to get stitches.
Mlinar said she had listened to hours of Smiley's recorded phone calls from the county jail.
"I didn't hear any, in any of these phone calls, any contrition, any remorse, any sorrow for the loss of life that he caused," she said. "There was nothing that talked about 'I can't believe I had to do that' or 'I was so afraid for my mom.' None of these things ever came out of his mouth."
Mlinar said his comments were about his anger, how his girlfriend couldn't calm him down and how "Dontae wouldn't shut up."
Prosecutor says defendant never took ownership of his actions
"So there is never any ownership of what was done and how he caused Dontae Crayton's death," she said. "We heard it was all the EMTs' fault, and the police officers' for the way that they treated (Crayton), the way that they tried to get him help and the way they took him down the stairs."
Mlinar said Smiley and his girlfriend Courtney Daniska put pictures of him at the jail onto social media, trying to raise money. The posts said Smiley didn't do anything and the cause of Crayton's death was unknown.
The prosecutor asked Haupt to impose a signficant sentence on Smiley for the death of Crayton and for the community "because we deserve to be protected."
Warstler said that Smiley had told his mother in several phone calls from the jail that he was sorry and didn't mean for the fatal shooting to happen.
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"We know for a fact that after the shooting happened, he indeed did call 911," Warstler said. "This was not a situation where he was out preying on society. He was not committing burglaries. He was in his own home. We recognize the sanctity of the home. Unfortunately, I don't think on this day either my client or Mr. Crayton had any belief that their altercation would ever to get to such a level that the events transpired like they did. My client acknowledges that.
"In my discussions with him, he's the first to remind me, 'I can't change it.' I truly believe ... if he could change this, he would change it now," the defense attorney said.
"My client does not have the smoothest upbringing or home environment but he is young," Warstler said.
Mlinar said Smiley had served time in the state's prison system for minors, the Ohio Department of Youth Services.
Haupt gave Smiley credit against his sentence for time already spent in jail.
She appointed attorney Cole Bond to handle the appeal of his July 26 conviction in a jury trial.
No members of the victim's family spoke at Thursday's sentencing.
Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly knownas Twitter: @nmolnarTR.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton man gets prison term for killing mother's fiancé during home argument
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