Botched iPad theft led to a woman's 'senseless' death. The murderers are jailed for life

When 33-year-old Rhonda Glover, a single mother of six, was fatally shot in a car along Erie's East 13th Street in November 2021, she did not know her assailants, and she was not a target of the contorted robbery plot that led to her death.

In the words of Erie County Judge David Ridge: "Rhonda Glover was totally innocent. She is dead for no reason. None."

Ridge highlighted what he called the "senseless" nature of Glover's death on Wednesday as he sentenced the two men convicted of her murder: Darryl R. Gates, 41, and Javon R. Cason, 22.

Ridge gave both mandatory terms of life in prison with no parole, plus additional time.

"The circumstances of this case are deeply disturbing," the lead prosecutor on the case, Chief Deputy District Attorney Steven Liboski, said at the sentencing hearing. "The level of cold-bloodedness is beyond comprehension."

Ridge sentenced Gates to the life term for first-degree murder, a premeditated homicide. He gave Gates up to another 35½ years for his convictions for theft and criminal conspiracy to commit murder.

Ridge sentenced Cason to the life term for second-degree murder, a homicide committed during a felony, such as a robbery. He gave Cason up to another 20 years for his conviction for criminal conspiracy to commit murder.

Broken iPad spurs plot that ends in murder

Gates and Cason were convicted at trial in March. Gates was found guilty of killing Glover. Cason was accused of providing him the handgun.

The evidence showed Glover and Cason carried out the killing as part of a scheme to steal back a broken iPad for their cousin, Aiyanna R. Atkinson, 23. She was a codefendant and testified against Glover and Cason. The prosecution said a plea hearing in her case is to be scheduled soon.

Atkinson testified her former boyfriend, Tariq Sheppard, 24, took the iPad, though he denied having it. Sheppard was dating Glover and driving the SUV in which she was a passenger when she was shot once in the forehead at 8 p.m. on Nov. 17, 2021.

The SUV was in the 600 block of East 13th Street, between Reed and Ash streets. It was parked in front of the house of Glover's sister Rochelle Glover.

Sheppard and Rhonda Glover had planned to run into the house to escape the SUV that had been chasing them — an SUV that Atkinson was driving, with Gates in the front passenger seat and Cason in the back seat.

Before Sheppard and Rhonda Glover could get out, according to testimony, Gates jumped out of Atkinson's SUV and went to the passenger side of Sheppard's SUV. He opened fire. He shot Glover and missed Sheppard, believed to be the intended target. Sheppard ran into Rochelle Glover's house to avoid a spray of bullets.

After the shooting, Atkinson testified, Gates said, "I would have had them both dead" if enough bullets had been in the pistol.

'This is not a natural death for a 33-year-old'

Rhonda Glover's death left Rochelle Glover and her siblings to care for Rhonda Glover's six children, ages 10 to 16.

"This is not a natural death for a 33-year-old," Rochelle Glover told Ridge.

She and her sister Roshina Glover described Rhonda Glover as a hardworking and loving mother.

"My sister was not of the streets, not even a little bit," Roshina Glover said. "She was literally about her six kids."

Roshina Glover looked over at Gates and Cason, in prison uniforms and shackles.

Roshina Glover then looked at Ridge.

"I hope you give them the same leniency as they gave my sister, which is none," she said.

Rochelle Glover asked for justice — and for prayers.

"I don't hate you at all," Rochelle Glover told Gates and Cason. "I forgive you all. And I pray for peace."

Gates and Cason did not testify at trial. Their lawyers — Gene Placidi for Gates and Bruce Sandmeyer for Cason — attacked the credibility of Atkinson, the main prosecution witness.

Gates and Cason spoke on Wednesday.

Gates said he did not get a fair trial.

"There hasn't been a day that has gone by that I haven't been sick about this," he told Rhonda Glover's family, seated in the gallery. "You are continuously going to be in my prayers."

Cason said he is innocent.

"I am sorry for the loss that happened," he said.

Impact on community cannot be 'underestimated'

Liboski, who prosecuted the case with Assistant District Attorney Tayler Moses, presented DNA tests, surveillance videos and other trial evidence that tied Gates and Cason to the killing.

On Wednesday, Liboski recounted how Rhonda Glover was unknown to Gates and Cason, how she was caught up in a conspiracy in which she was never involved.

And yet, Liboski said, Glover was murdered.

"I don't think the impact on the community at large can be underestimated," Liboski told Ridge.

Ridge repeated his description of Rhonda Glover: "totally innocent."

"There is no sentence I can impose to make this right," he said.

Staff writer Nicholas Sorensen contributed to this report.

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com or 814-881-0238. Follow him on X @ETNpalattella .

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Botched iPad theft led to a woman's 'senseless' death. The murderers are jailed for life