Tacoma man caught in 2010 gang crackdown going back to prison for fatal shooting
The man who shot and killed a young woman near Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue just over a year after he was released from a lengthy period of incarceration tied to gang activity was sentenced Friday to 20 years, five months in prison.
Bobby Joe Ezra Plain, 40, pleaded guilty in April to first-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting 28-year-old Chantelle Grayson on a sidewalk in the 700 block of North Junett Street.
Grayson was with her boyfriend at the time, and, according to court documents, prosecutors had phone data and surveillance video that showed Plain followed them in a vehicle from a fast-food restaurant to a convenience store and then to the scene where Plain shot Grayson in the head.
In an interview with Tacoma Police Department detectives, according to the probable cause document, the boyfriend reportedly said they went to the area because he felt like Plain was trying to hurt them, and he didn’t think he would do anything in a “nice neighborhood.”
When they parked, Plain approached their car. Grayson and her boyfriend got out, and the boyfriend and Plain initially walked toward the other vehicle. Then Plain approached Grayson, and the two reportedly began to argue over gas money. Moments later, Plain shot the woman and drove off.
“This wasn’t her fight,” deputy prosecuting attorney Richard Weyrich said in court Friday. “She was an innocent person. This wasn’t caused by her, but by some people she was hanging out with.”
Weyrich was arguing for a 20-year prison term. To understand why, he said he needed to go back to February 2010. That’s when Plain was arrested in a wide-ranging criminal probe that accused 32 people of committing dozens of felonies as members of the Hilltop Crips street gang.
Plain pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and second-degree assault. He was accused of beating a man with a gun in 2008 during a melee at a now-closed diner on South Hosmer Street that allegedly involved 15-20 gang members. A judge gave Plain 17 years in prison, and he served about 12 years.
In May 2022, Plain was released from prison. He was still on community custody with the Department of Corrections when he killed Grayson a year and nine days later.
Plain’s defense attorney from the Department of Assigned Counsel, Chandra Carlisle, said she came onto the case last year. When she spoke with Plain, she said it immediately became apparent that he wanted to find a way to accept responsibility. She noted that Plain had been involved in the justice system since he was a child. She argued for a 17.5-year sentence.
“He wanted to set an example for his own children to show them that when you make a mistake, even a terrible mistake, that you need to take responsibility and account for your actions,” Carlisle said.
Grayson’s mother, grandmother, grandfather, cousin and her best friend addressed Pierce County Superior Court Judge Alicia Marie Burton in court Friday. The judge also silently read a letter from Grayson’s sister, Shareka Hicks.
The relatives and friend described Grayson as a dedicated worker who earned everything she had in life. Her cousin, Chabrea Thomas, said Grayson was the only person she knew who would work “a million jobs” if she had enough hours in the day.
“I’m Chantelle’s cousin, but we grew up more like sisters,” Thomas said. “We were like salt and pepper to those that knew us. We spent our entire lives together up until May 15, 2023. What Bobby Joe Ezra Plain did to Chantelle that night forever changed all of our lives.”
Grayson’s friend, Lochelle Cox, recalled spending hours on the phone with her every day, talking about “everything imaginable.” She said she doesn’t think she’ll ever be used to the silence that has replaced those conversations.
“Chantelle was the kind of person who could brighten a room the moment she walked into it,” Cox said. “She had the most contagious smile and laugh. She was goofy in the best way, and she could make anyone laugh, no matter what kind of day they were having.”
Grayson’s mother, Felicia Hayes, spoke to Burton through tears. She said a part of her died when she lost her daughter, and she still can’t believe Grayson is gone.
“But every day I look at my baby’s pictures, and I’m like where is my baby, why is she not calling me?” Hayes said. “When this happened, I couldn’t believe she was gone. I’m still thinking she’s going to pull in the driveway. ‘Mommy, I’m here.’ But it didn’t happen.”
Grayson’s grandmother, Lou Ramos, asked Burton to impose a 28-year sentence, stating that Plain should get the number of years that Grayson had on Earth. Grayson’s grandfather, Johnnie Grayson, stared directly at Plain and told him he just wanted to know why he did it. He said Grayson was a “beautiful star” who meant everything to his family.
Before Burton imposed Plain’s sentence, the defendant had a chance to speak. He said he was deeply sorry to the Grayson family, and that he wished the situation had never happened. He said there was nothing he could say to make it less painful, and he promised to do better.
“I’m truly sorry,” Plain said. “I never meant for none of this to happen.”
Prosecutors originally charged Plain with two counts of second-degree murder under two different theories of the crime and two counts of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. According to court records, the charges were amended as part of plea negotiations.
Weyrich wrote in a court filing that the state’s case was largely dependent on whether various statements from an uncooperative witness would be admissible as evidence.
