Man convicted in 2022 murder of 17-year-old Carissa Bright in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A man was convicted of first-degree murder and related charges in connection with the 2022 death of 17-year-old Carissa Bright in Philadelphia's East Mount Airy neighborhood.
Damir Richardson, 26, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.
Authorities said the fatal shooting happened on the 6500 block of Ross Street on Jan. 14, 2022, and surveillance video showed Richardson's Honda Odyssey pulling up alongside a car that Bright was in the backseat of. They said he left the scene of shooting at the vehicle multiple times, hitting Bright in her head and chest.
Investigators believe Bright's boyfriend, who was sitting next to her in the car, was the intended target.
Richardson was arrested months later on July 23, 2022, after being extradited from California, where authorities said he left following two shootings. The second shooting was several hours after the fatal shooting of Bright. He drove to Gloucester Township, New Jersey, and shot at a residence where his ex-girlfriend stayed, according to authorities.
Philadelphia and Gloucester Township police determined cartridge casings from the Gloucester Township shooting matched the cartridge casings from the two 9mm guns at the scene in the East Mount Airy shooting, the DA's office said.
PPD also said they found Richardson's DNA on the steering wheel of the Honda they said was used in the East Mount Airy shooting.
"This case is an excellent example of law enforcement collaboration that resulted in taking an extremely dangerous individual off the street," District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement.