4th teenager sentenced in subway beating death

PHILADELPHIA - January 4, 2010 (WPVI) -- A teenager who testified against 3 others, learned his sentence in connection with the beating death of a Starbucks manager on a Philadelphia subway concourse.

17-year-old Raheem Bell was sentenced to 11-and-a-1/2 to 23 months in prison for his role in the attack.

The attack happened in March, 2008 in a subway concourse at 13th and Market Streets.

Sean Conroy died of an acute stress-induced asthma attack during the beating.

In August, 2009, Ameer Best, 18, and Nashir Fisher, 17, were found guilty of third degree murder and conspiracy.

Kinta Stanton, 17, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy.

All three had been charged with third degree murder.

Arthur Alston, 18, who previously pleaded guilty in the case, he is still awaiting sentencing.

The Conroys said they had been willing to forgive the boys who killed their only son, even hoping they could avoid jail time. But, when they saw the teens laughing their way through the trial, laughing and joking with their girlfriends, they had a change of heart.

"They planned this, they executed it down to the escape. They split up after they murdered my son so they would not be caught," said Sean's father Steven. "These are not innocent kids."

The boys had claimed they did it on a dare, a test of their manhood...not intending to kill anyone.

All five teens had skipped school in North Philadelphia to head to a downtown mall, according to prosecutors. The teens were on the subway platform when someone challenged another group member to hit someone, and Conroy was punched from behind, authorities said.

A police officer soon observed four teens beating and kicking the man. By the time the officer got to him, Conroy was on his knees, gasping for breath. He was pronounced dead within the hour.

All three defendants told police they didn't hit Conroy, but Stanton was the only one to take the stand in his own defense.

Defense attorneys argued that the teens lacked the malice required to convict them of third-degree murder.

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philadelphia, pennsylvania, SEPTA, beating, homicide, police, plea, murder, local/state

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