A Pennsylvania jury found Westlake High School graduate Lavon Chisley, 23, guilty of first and third degree murder late last week for the killing of Langston Carraway, 26. On Friday, a Center County judge sentenced Chisley to life without parole. Pennsylvania doesn’t have the death penalty.
Chisley was convicted of stabbing his former roommate 93 times. Most of the wounds were defensive injuries on Carraway’s hands and arms as he tried to protect himself. The prosecution says Chisley was $50,000 in debt and desperate for the drug money he knew was in Carraway’s apartment.
Lavon Chisley graduated from Westlake in 2001, reportedly the star of their football team. He was recruited to play for Penn State’s Nittany Lions football program. The 6’6” defensive end played solidly, but a strained knee ligament sidelined him early in his last season.
While recovering from the injury, the team’s officials learned that Chisley’s grades made him “academically ineligible” and cut him from the team in 2005. Several NFL scouts were reportedly interested in Chisley for the next NFL draft, but he was not picked up by any of the professional teams. Records say he dealt marijuana to earn income.
According to court documents, police found a glove near the body that had Carraway’s blood and traces of Chisley’s DNA. They also found a footprint at the crime scene whose tread and wear pattern matched Chisley’s. Additionally damning was the testimony from Chisley’s former girlfriend that he asked her to be his alibi. The jury heard testimony from two additional people that Chisley also asked them to be his alibi.
Despite the copious amount of blood at the crime scene, investigators reported finding none of the victim’s blood in the car Chisley drove that night or on his belongings. No eyewitnesses connected Chisley to the crime. Chisley’s lawyer told Pennsylvania media that despite the quantity of defensive wounds on the victim, Chisley didn’t have a scratch on him.
Chisley’s lawyer is looking into an appeal.
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