April 4, 2023

A Houston man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday after being convicted of capital murder for robbing and killing his friend in 2018, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This man used a gun to try to take what he wanted, and the jury did the right thing by ensuring that he will never be on the street again,” Ogg said. “We stand with the victim’s family, who deserved, and got, justice.”

Paul Ikemere, 25, was automatically sentenced after being convicted of capital murder by a Harris County jury in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Shayne Hart in southwest Houston on Dec. 11, 2018.

The evidence showed that Hart was in Ikemere’s car when Ikemere shot him several times and took his jewelry, including a $10,000 Superman pendant and thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry, including bracelets, rings and necklaces. Ikemere also took the money out of the dead man’s pockets—the killer’s DNA was found on the out-turned pocket lining.

Ikemere then dumped the body in the 11600 block of Fairmont Street for authorities to find. Houston Police Department detectives talked to witnesses who said Hart was last seen with Ikemere. Witnesses testified that Ikemere coveted Hart’s jewelry, which he saw on Hart’s social media pages.

HPD detectives also found records that Ikemere had pawned a pistol and several pieces of Hart’s jewelry in the days after the shooting. Ikemere was arrested the day after Christmas for killing his friend.

Assistant District Attorney Casey Little, who is assigned to the DA’s Homicide Division and prosecuted the case with ADA Laurie Beth Jackson, said the victim’s family finally got justice after five years of waiting.

“It’s just a really sad, sad case,” Little said after the verdict. “This defendant just wanted what Shayne Hart had, and he took it.”

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