Two men sentenced for their involvement in a Wilmington murder

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Two men who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for their involvement in a 2018 murder have been sentenced.

Brandyn Queen, 20, pleaded guilty Thursday in New Hanover County Superior Court for the murder of 19‐year old Tomar Bloodworth who was killed May 8, 2018. He was sentenced to serve between 10-14 years in prison.

Queen’s best friend and co‐defendant in the crime, 21-year-old Devontae Mitchell, pleaded guilty to Accessory After the Fact to Second Degree Murder.

According to the district attorney’s office, Mitchell lied to detectives about the identity of the person who shot and killed Bloodworth. Mitchell was sentence to serve between 3-5 years in prison.

The murder occurred on Chestnut Street after Mitchell arranged to meet and purchase marijuana from Bloodworth, the DA’s office said. As Bloodworth sat in his car, there was an argument over the transaction.

The DA’s office said Queen pulled a .22 caliber handgun and shot Bloodworth. Bloodworth returned fire as the driver of his vehicle sped off to New Hanover Regional Medical Center where Bloodworth later died from his injuries.

When detectives interviewed Mitchell, he told detectives that he did contact Bloodworth to buy marijuana and that the juvenile who was also present with him and Queen shot Bloodworth.

Queen gave the same statement to detectives when he was arrested the next day.

The juvenile involved maintained that he was also present to purchase marijuana, but that Queen shot Bloodworth. The juvenile also said that Queen and Mitchell conspired to blame him for the murder due to his age.