CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — A year ago, right after her son’s death, Gilberto Wyche pledged to fight to keep his friend out of prison. After sentencing today, she wonders why she hasn’t heard from him, or his family, ever since.

Juan Perry and Jay Wyche were longtime friends in their South Norfolk neighborhood along Seaboard Avenue.

“When you’d see one, you’d see the other,” Wyche’s mother says.

The two men, both 20 at the time, had a shotgun in late April 2017. The gun went off, Wyche was killed, and police called it an accident.

At a vigil for her son, Gilberto Wyche said she “couldn’t stay mad at (Perry’s) family.” 

Perry ended up pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Wyche’s death. Gilberto Wyche says she hasn’t heard from Perry or his family ever since that vigil.

Before sentencing Friday, Chief Judge Randall Smith gave Perry a chance to address Wyche’s family. He stood silent, never turning around to face those who had lost a son and brother.

“I thought maybe he would turn around, I really did,” Wyche said. 

She says it was maybe the last chance to answer the question that has haunted her since April 2017 – what really happened.

“I guess I’ll never know.”

Smith sentenced Perry to Virginia’s Youthful Offender Program. Those inmates have separate housing away from the general prison population, and must complete vocational training. Perry also got ten years, all suspended.

A year ago, Wyche was arm-and-arm with Perry’s father at the vigil, balloons flew into the skies, and the two families were talking about understanding and forgiveness. Now she says she’s not sure whether she’d like Perry’s family to reach out.

“I ain’t gonna say no, but I just keep my distance from everybody. It is what it is.”