Man kills ex’s new boyfriend, tells kids, ‘Don’t tell anybody,’ Virginia officials say

A man shot his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend at a Virginia Beach apartment and asked the kids there not to tell anyone, authorities said.

Now, 34-year-old Jamel Isaiah Thorogood will serve 25 years in prison, the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney office announced Jan. 23.

McClatchy News could not immediately reach Thorogood’s attorney for comment.

Thorogood said he was upset with his ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of his child, because of her new relationship, officials said. He began calling the woman and texting her, threatening her and her boyfriend, according to the Commonwealth attorney.

The evening of Aug. 17, 2021, Thorogood went to the couple’s apartment in Virginia Beach, where the woman’s children were staying, including his own child, authorities said.

His ex-girlfriend wasn’t there, but her boyfriend was. Thorogood walked to the back bedroom and shot Marquise Alston five times, killing him, according to authorities.

As he fled, he instructed the kids, “Don’t tell anybody,” officials said.

The children went to a neighbor’s apartment, and police responded to the scene.

Thorogood traveled over 170 miles to Oxford, North Carolina, before he was arrested and brought back to Virginia Beach, authorities said.

He was charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a non-violent felon within 10 years, the attorney’s office said.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced Jan. 23 to 50 years in prison, with 25 years suspended.

Virginia Beach is about 110 miles southeast of Richmond.

This story was originally published January 24, 2024 at 10:08 AM with the headline "Man kills ex’s new boyfriend, tells kids, ‘Don’t tell anybody,’ Virginia officials say."