2 sentenced to 60 years in prison for 2023 Whole Foods murder in Short Pump

A Henrico County judge has sentenced two Crewe residents to lengthy prison terms for the 2023 killing of 30-year-old Julian Leshon McClenny outside the Whole Foods Market at West Broad Village in Short Pump.

On Aug. 29, Henrico Judge L.A. Harris Jr. sentenced Deonte Marquel Winston, 35, and Katoya Laquan Brown, 37, to 60 years each for their roles in the fatal shooting. Both were convicted in May of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of murder, and four counts of felony child neglect.

According to evidence presented at trial, McClenny and his girlfriend were visiting the Short Pump area on Sept. 2, 2023 to celebrate his birthday and his girlfriend’s parents’ anniversary, when they encountered Winston panhandling aggressively in the West Broad Village subdivision. After a confrontation, Winston pulled a gun and shot McClenny during a struggle. Brown, who was waiting nearby in a van with her four children, retrieved her own firearm and shot McClenny two more times. He died three days later at a hospital.

The pair fled the scene but were arrested days later in Crewe.

Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor said the case underscored the community’s intolerance for senseless violence.

“No person should be arbitrarily deprived of life, especially by the use of firearms,” Taylor said. “The jury’s verdicts and today’s sentences send a message that this community will not tolerate such cruel, senseless, and violent acts.”