YOUTH, 16, FOUND GUILTY IN SLAYING

The 16-year-old boy charged with murdering a Lanexa man in a New Year’s night shootout over drugs was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter Thursday in Williamsburg-James City Circuit Court.

Richard Alan Coberly, who was tried as an adult, was also found guilty of possession of cocaine. Charges of possession of a gun while in possession of cocaine and use of a gun in a killing were dismissed.

Coberly was originally charged with murder and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. He agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charges in an agreement with the prosecution.

If sentenced as an adult he faces a 20-year prison term, said Commonwealth’s Attorney George C. Fairbanks IV. But at the discretion of Circuit Court Judge William Person, Coberly could be sentenced as a juvenile and sent to a learning center until he’s 21 or he could be sentenced to a detention center for an unspecified length of time.

Coberly must remain in the Newport News juvenile facility until his sentencing June 4.

Had he been convicted of the original charges, he would have faced up to 67 years in prison, Fairbanks said.

Wearing a gray plaid shirt, gray slacks and shiny black shoes, Coberly displayed little emotion during the proceeding. The boy’s mother, Cynthia Chaput, said her son should never have been involved with guns and drugs. ”It’s frightening,” said Chaput.

At the time of the shooting, Chaput said her son was living in James City County with his father, her former husband.

The 21-year-old victim, Jeffrey Wright, had been to Coberly’s trailer at the Williamsburg Terrace Trailer Park, to buy drugs, Fairbanks said in his summary of the case. Wright had been talking with Craig James, the supplier of the drugs, about the purchase price. Wright was supposed to have bought an eighth of an ounce for $160.

The conversation was taken outside, near a former laundromat at the trailer park off Merrimac Trail in James City County.

Wright was with another man, Dietrick Bartlett, and they planned to take the drugs without paying, said Fairbanks.

When Wright and James got into a fist fight, James began yelling for help, he said.

Bartlett fired a shot into the air with a .25-caliber handgun, supposedly as a warning for one of James’ cohorts standing nearby to keep away.

Coberly heard the shot from his trailer and came running with a .22-caliber revolver, said Fairbanks. Shielded by a car, he began shooting, he said. Bartlett shot back.

Coberly fired four shots in all, while Bartlett fired a total of three, said Fairbanks.

Bartlett started to run away, followed by Wright. Coberly shot at them, supposedly aiming for Bartlett, but hit Wright instead, said Fairbanks. Wright, a barber, died of a gunshot wound in the back of the head, he said.

Fairbanks said he agreed to enter into a plea agreement because the defense may have argued the shooting occurred in self-defense. He said the laws of self-defense allow an individual to come to the aid of another.

But Fairbanks maintained it ceased being self-defense after the men started to run away.

Members of the Wright family declined to comment.