By: Leon Kwasi Kuntuo-Asare
In Sacramento, California, Joseph Demarco (a suspected White supremacist) was sentenced to life in state prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of 38-year-old James Roseman (a black man), a crime law enforcement officials have classified as a hate crime. He was sentenced in Sacramento County Superior Court.
Demarco was found guilty by a jury earlier this year for the shooting death of Roseman, which occurred in June 2024 in a parking lot in the Arden-Arcade area. According to reports, Roseman was simply in the parking lot when Demarco shot him from a vehicle.
Prosecutors argued that Demarco’s actions were fueled by racist hatred, the California jury ultimately agreed with them, leading to a conviction that included a special circumstance of intentionally killing the victim because of his race.
During the sentencing, members of the Roseman family shared emotional victim impact statements, expressing their profound grief and impact of his loss on the family. While finding some measure of justice in the verdict, they also spoke about the pain of the racially motivated nature of the crime.
Judge Maryanne Gillard, in handing down the sentence, reportedly described Demarco’s actions as “reprehensible” and an illustration of the “worst of humanity.”
Demarco reportedly declined to address the Roseman family, the Jury or prosecutors in court during his sentencing. His defense lawyer has indicated that an appeal is planned.
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