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28 year-old John Chessman Jr. has asked the Supreme Court for leniency after pleading guilty to manslaughter for the August 2012 shooting death of Jiantao Yang, a Chinese businessman who was robbed and killed in Ladyville. Chessman was originally charged with murder, but he pleaded down to the lesser charge.

Viewers may remember the case from August 9th, 2012. Yang was at his business place, E-Bay Supermarket, on Crab Catcher Street in Ladyville. At around 5:00 that evening, Chessman and another man entered the store, held Yang at gunpoint, and ordered that he hand over money. They made their way behind the counter and while Yang was opening the cash register, one of them shot him. The men then fled from the supermarket with some money and other items. The police retrieved a video recording from the supermarket which showed the faces of the perpetrators.

That surveillance footage was shown by Senior Crown Counsel Sheneiza Smith today during the mitigation, to give an indication to the court of the aggravating factors.

Chessman called no character witnesses to speak on his behalf, but he did use the opportunity to address the court. He told Justice Marilyn Williams that he was sorry for killing the Chinese businessman. Justice Williams has deferred sentencing until July 22.

Chessman has already been acquitted of 3 murders. In 2005, he was charged along with his older brother for the killing of 20 year-old Mara Noami Garcia, whose throat was slit with a samurai sword. Then in 2008, 1 month after he was found not guilty of that murder, he was arrested and charged with the double murder 19 year-old Karen Crawford and 44 year-old Maurice Cadle. He was acquitted in trial before Justice Adolph Lucas in May 2012. Several months later, he was charged the killing of Jiantao Yang, for which he has now pleaded guilty.