NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Xavier Hudspeth was sentenced Friday to 36 years in jail for his participation in the 2022 murder of former Norfolk Police Sgt. William Moore.
The judge said concern over Hudspeth’s gang involvement, his disregard for human life and the fact that he was the mastermind behind the crime led him to that decision.
The Commonwealth actually recommended 38 years, significantly more than the sentencing guidelines of just over 24 years of jail time.
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi explained why.
“Mr. Hudspeth put up his own friend to commit this crime and put up his friend, essentially, to kill one of the victims and to wound and try to kill the other,” Fatehi said. “He was trying to keep his hands clean from a really violent crime, and that makes him even more responsible than the person who pulled the trigger.”
He was speaking of Andra Brown, who was convicted of doing the actual shooting — killing Moore and putting a bullet in his oldest daughter’s head.
Court documents obtained by 10 On Your Side in 2023 revealed Brown telling detectives that Hudspeth didn’t go up to the house because he knew Moore.
Fatehi said that was because Hudspeth worked for him.
“When we as citizens let people into our houses to do work in our houses, we trust them with our homes,” Fatehi said. “And then for someone to turn around and use that information to set in motion a murder and a bad maiming, we just can’t tolerate that.”
The court documents also revealed that Hudspeth told detectives they knew of the house because a lady told them they sold guns there.
However, Fatehi told 10 On Your Side that’s not relevant to the case.
“You don’t show up to somebody’s house in the middle of the night armed at somebody’s house because they’re doing offer ups or something,” Fatehi said. “You’re there to commit a crime, and whatever may have been in their heads, they committed a crime, a very serious set of crimes.”
Moore’s oldest daughter testified at the sentencing Friday and said she has a prosthetic eye and can’t sleep or work after the shooting.
A Norfolk Sheriff’s Office sergeant also took the stand and said in jail it was determined from words Hudspeth used and his own admittance that he is a part of the Watts Bounty Hunter Bloods gang.
Moore’s youngest daughter, Karen Sprinkel, spoke with 10 On Your Side and said while she happy with the outcome, nothing will bring her dad back.
“He was a good man and I miss him,” she said. “I miss him terribly, and he didn’t deserve to go like that. It was just awful, but I mean, it is what it is, I can’t bring him back. I wish I could because I know he’d still be here even though he was 83 at the time, I know he’d still be here.”
But the Commonwealth is still seeking justice.
“To kill or not to kill was in Mr. Brown’s hands, and we will seek a sentence that is fair, and it fits Mr. Brown’s crimes.” Fatehi said.
Andra Brown’s sentencing is set for March 22.
