Keylon White Man sentenced in Youngstown shooting death of James Merchant

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — A man who pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge for a shooting death last year on the North Side was sentenced Friday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to 8-12 years in prison.

Keylon White, 29, received the sentence from Judge Maureen Sweeney after he pleaded guilty in April to a charge of involuntary manslaughter for the Aug. 9 shooting death of James Merchant, also 29.

Merchant was shot to death in an SUV that was parked in a driveway on Alameda Avenue.

White was a suspect early on in the investigation and was indicted in October by a grand jury.

Assistant Prosecutor Patrick Fening asked for a sentence of 8 to 12 years. Fening said Merchant and White were arguing over a woman when Merchant was killed.

“It did not need to go this way,” Fening said. “This could’ve been resolved.”

Fening said a manslaughter plea was offered because Meechant did have a gun in his vehicle when he was shot.

Defense attorney Ron Yarwood asked for a sentence of four to six years. He said his client knew he was the subject of a police investigation and never fled and when he was indicted, he turned himself in. 

White apologized.

“Things could have been different,” White said. “I wish they were.”