Three Canton men were sentenced to life in prison Monday for their roles in a 2023 fatal shooting that killed a 35-year-old man inside a northeast Canton home, according to Stark County court records.
Stark County Common Pleas Judge Kristin G. Farmer sentenced Paul G. Johnson, 18, Tracian L. Jones, 20, and Jerry Dotson III, 20, on Jan. 27 after a jury found them guilty earlier this month of murder and multiple related offenses. Each defendant was ordered to serve a minimum of 38 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole.
The convictions stem from the April 7, 2023, shooting death of Bryson O. Barksdale Sr. at a residence on Otto Place N.E. Court filings show Barksdale was struck in the neck by a bullet fired from outside the home. Seven adults and two children were inside the residence at the time of the shooting.
Records indicate the three defendants were juveniles when the offense occurred. The jury acquitted all three of aggravated murder but found them guilty of murder, felonious assault and additional charges tied to a series of crimes that occurred between April 4 and April 7, 2023.
According to court documents, the offenses involved stolen vehicles, discharging firearms, firearm specifications and participation in a criminal gang. Prosecutors alleged the shooting was intended to target a member of a rival gang, though that individual was not present at the residence.
All three defendants will remain incarcerated for decades and could spend the rest of their lives in prison.
