NORFOLK
A young man convicted of killing his openly gay friend before attending his prom was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison.
Deandre R. Moore was convicted of second-degree murder in the May attack that left Jacques Cowell, 20, dead.
Moore, 18, was a football player at Lake Taylor High School, earning notice in The Virginian-Pilot as a possible college-bound prospect.
Prosecutors stated in court filings that Cowell and Moore met on Facebook and had been friends for several weeks this spring. Cowell was openly gay and witnesses told prosecutors that the two appeared to have a physical relationship, court records state.
On May 6, Cowell told friends he was going to get a cellphone back from Moore, court records state. The two met in Cowell’s car.
Moore told police in a sworn statement that Cowell threatened him. Moore felt frightened and stabbed Cowell, he told police. Moore pursued and struck Cowell several more times as he ran away, court records state.
Moore went to prom later that night, he told police.
An autopsy found Cowell was stabbed 14 times in the chest, torso and left leg. He was found outside his car in the 5500 block of Raby Road.
Moore denied to police that he had a sexual relationship with Cowell.