Eight months after he was convicted, a 29-year-old man was sentenced Friday to 50 years to life in a San Francisco murder case that gained notoriety because of the defendant's appearance on a reality TV series that was broadcast a few months after the crime was committed.
In February, Jamal Rashead Trulove was found guilty of first-degree murder and weapons charges in the July 23, 2007 death of 28-year-old Seu Kuka, who was gunned down at the Sunnydale Housing projects in Visitacion Valley.
A single eyewitness came forward and testified during the trial that she was among two dozen people who saw what happened that night. She said she recognized Trulove both that night and later when she was watching "I Love New York 2," a VH1 reality show that broadcast three months after the slaying.
In the first episode, Trulove got into an argument with another contestant vying for the affections of Tiffany "New York" Pollard, a reality TV veteran. He was kicked off at the end of the first episode.
At the sentencing, the defendant addressed the court and denied having killed the man he considered his best friend. He asked the victim's family to pursue the real killer.
District Attorney Kamala Harris praised the "bravery of the eyewitness" who cooperated when no one else at the scene came forward. The sentencing was delayed while the court considered and ultimately denied a motion for a new trial.
Source SFgate.com
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