Commonwealth v. Josiah Joel Spann; Thirty Years to Serve for Murder of Young Man, Robbery and Shooting of Another  

Virginia Beach, Va. – Colin D. Stolle, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the city of Virginia Beach, announced that Josiah Joel Spann, age 19, was sentenced today on charges of First Degree Murder, Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Attempted Robbery Causing Bodily Injury, Use of a Firearm (2 counts), and Carrying a Concealed Weapon.  Circuit Court Judge Stephen C. Mahan sentenced Spann to a term of life in prison with all suspended, except thirty (30) years to serve.  This was the maximum sentence under the plea agreement, which called for an active sentence of no more than thirty (30) years to serve.

Spann pled guilty on June 29, 2026. Had this matter gone to trial, the Commonwealth’s evidence would have proven that on the evening of April 13, 2025, Josiah Spann was part of a group of juveniles and young adults who attended a pre-arranged fight between one of Spann’s friends, and the juvenile victim, K.B. After the fight was supposed to conclude, the victim hit Spann’s friend one more time. Spann then got into a fight with the victim.   After the second fight was over, Spann and the victim exchanged insults over social media. In the early morning hours of April 14, 2025, Spann told K.B. to apologize or else he would, “shoot through the glass,” or words to that effect. When K.B. did not apologize, Spann went to K.B.’s apartment and fired at the glass sliding door, striking K.B. in the head. K.B. died from the gunshot wound.

Later that evening, Spann, co-defendant Marquez Smith, and a juvenile planned to rob victim K.D. of his firearm and they set up a fake drug purchase to do so. While Smith distracted K.D., Spann came up behind K.D. and demanded his property. K.D. took out his firearm and shot Spann. Spann fired back. Both Spann and K.D. were hit but recovered from their injuries. Spann fled and left his firearm in a black cross body bag in a nearby bush.

A witness to the initial fight observed Spann pull a firearm out of a black cross body bag.  Evidence from the murder and robbery scenes was tested at the Virginia Department of Forensic Science’s laboratory. Cartridge casings and bullets from both scenes matched the firearm found in the black cross body bag.

For his role in the robbery of K.D., Marquez Smith was convicted of Attempted Armed Robbery and Conspiracy.  He was sentenced to fifteen (15) years in prison with thirteen (13) years and nine (9) months suspended, leaving one (1) year and three (3) months to serve.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Courtney E. Lewis prosecuted this case. Please contact Macie Allen if additional information is desired.