Man pleads guilty in 2021 execution killing outside Westwood Walmart

A 28-year-old man pleaded guilty Thursday in the 2021 daytime killing of another man in the crowded parking lot of a Westwood Walmart.

Josiah Hassell was sentenced to 25 to 30½ years in prison, a term that had been agreed upon as part of the plea. Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan imposed the sentence.

The shooting, which prosecutors described as being an execution, happened the afternoon of Nov. 27, 2021 outside the entrance to the Walmart at 2322 Ferguson Road.

Hassell pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge and felonious assault, officials said.

Jamontea Brown was waiting for a ride when Hassell pulled up in a car near where Brown stood. Prosecutors said Hassell got out of the car, pulled out a gun, and from behind, shot Brown in the back of the head. Hassell then drove off in the car.

Brown, who was 24, died at the scene.

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Hassell's attorney, Clyde Bennett II, told The Enquirer that the video was overwhelming evidence of Hassell's guilt.

"In light of the overwhelming evidence … and the fact that Mr. Hassell faced the rest of his life in prison, my goal was to get him the best possible deal," Bennett said in a statement. Hassell was facing the possibility of life in prison on charges including aggravated murder.

"I believe a flat, definite sentence was not a bad deal," Bennett said. "Mr. Hassell will return to society and reunite with his family."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Man pleads guilty in 2021 execution killing outside Westwood Walmart