Jakeem Lydell Towles

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

A man once sentenced to death will spend up to 60 years in state prison for the fatal shooting of a hip-hop artist outside a Pennsylvania concert venue, prosecutors announced on Friday, Dec. 12.

Jakeem Lydell Towles, 36, formerly of the 800 block of North Lime Street in Lancaster, was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to Third-Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, and a Felony Firearms offense, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.

Judge Jeffrey Conrad accepted the plea and imposed the sentence for the killing of 20-year-old rapper Cornell Anton “Young E-Z” Stewart, who was shot and killed outside a show at a renovated fire hall on the first block of North Fourth Street in Columbia borough on the night of Friday, May 7.

Court records state Towles opened fire on a group of people after being ejected from the venue for causing a fight. Stewart was fatally shot in the head during the chaos.

Towles was also convicted of attempted murder for firing shots at Stewart and Stewart’s co-performer, John Wright, during the incident. Wright and Towles had fought inside the concert hall after Towles interrupted the performers’ show, authorities said.

The case has a lengthy and complex legal history. Towles was originally convicted of First-Degree Murder and sentenced to death following a trial in 2012. That conviction was later overturned after the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled earlier this year that Towles received ineffective assistance of counsel, ordering a new trial.

Towles previously petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States, which denied his request for review in March 2015, according to court records.

During Friday’s sentencing, Towles waived all appeal rights and was ordered to pay nearly $12,000 in restitution, prosecutors said.

Stewart’s family delivered emotional statements in court. His father, Cornell Stewart Jr., said the sentencing marked the end of the judicial process but told the court “this journey is not over,” expressing hope that Towles would do something productive if he is ever released.

Stewart’s older brother, Elizar Maldonado, called the shooting a “coward’s move” and said he had “no respect” for Towles bringing the family back to court after taking Stewart’s life.

Stewart’s mother, Grissette Sanchez, told Towles he “stole” her son’s life and described his actions as narcissistic, adding that his “complete disregard for human life” could have led to even more deaths.

Judge Conrad praised Stewart’s family for their composure, saying there is “room for forgiveness and room for accountability.”

Towles told the court he accepted “full responsibility” for his actions and apologized to Stewart’s family, saying he wished he could undo what he had done. Judge Conrad encouraged him to live an “exemplary life” in prison by steering others away from violence.

Chief of Appeals Ande Gonzalez and Chief of the Major Crimes Unit Mark Fetterman prosecuted the case. Columbia Borough Police Officer Bryan Keyser filed the charges.