New Year's Eve shooting in Norfolk nets man a 33-year prison term

By Michelle Washington
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 18, 2008

NORFOLK

An 18-year-old man will serve 33 years in prison for a shooting instigated by rival gang greetings, a judge ruled Friday.

Kristen Steen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a firearm charge in June in the New Year's Eve shooting death of Jamal Matthews in Southern Shopping Center, off Little Creek Road.

Testimony in another court hearing indicated that the confrontation began when Steen asked Matthews, "What's cracking?"

"What's popping?" Matthews replied.

Steen then shot Matthews. A witness testified at the earlier hearing that Steen's greeting is used by Crips gang members. Matthews' reply is used by the Bloods.

Steen arrived at the sentencing hearing with a black eye. Prosecutor Ron Batliner urged Circuit Judge Junius P. Fulton III to impose a substantial sentence, citing other incidents of violence.

Batliner said that since Steen's plea to the murder charge he had been convicted of assaulting a deputy in jail. Batliner also pointed to Steen's conviction for assault when he was 10 years old.

"This was a gang-related shooting done under the most aggravated of circumstances," Batliner said. "It was done in a crowded shopping center, letting the rounds fly out onto a busy highway."

Steen's lawyer, Eric Korslund, said his client had taken responsibility for the crime by pleading guilty. Steen apologized to Matthews' family and to his own.

Saying that Steen had "taken a man's life for no reason other than he chose to associate with a different group than you were in," Fulton imposed a sentence of 43 years but suspended 10 years of the time. He also ordered Steen to stay away from gangs.

Michelle Washington, (757) 446-2287, michelle.washington@pilotonline.com

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total waste of lives

Submitted by dogpen on Mon, 10/20/2008 at 9:31 am.

For both. Think about the loss for both families, one dead & one just as good as dead. And what's up w/suspending 10 years from the sentence? That makes no sence. Was it the apology? That's not worth the breath it took to speak it, the dude is still fighting even in the POKEY!!