Authorities say man admits role in fatal stabbing

By Tasha Kates

Published: October 1, 2008

A Charlottesville man admitted to a stabbing incident that hospitalized one man and killed another, according to a statement made in court by an assistant commonwealth’s attorney.

Lamont Jermaine Blakey, 26, told police about his involvement in the incident Tuesday near a Friendship Court apartment, said Matthew J. Quatrara, Charlottesville assistant commonwealth’s attorney, this morning in court.

Blakey, who has a prior assault conviction, appeared this morning in Charlottesville General District Court via video feed for the purpose of getting an attorney. General District Judge Robert H. Downer Jr. appointed defense attorney Sheila Haughey to the case.

Blakey was charged with first-degree murder and malicious wounding in connection with Tuesday’s incident. Around 4 p.m., police responded to the entrance of the apartment complex to find 20-year-old city resident Joshua Lee Gibson on the ground. He was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

Police also found a 44-year-old city man at the scene who had been stabbed. Ric Barrick, the city’s spokesman, said James Edward Brown suffered a stab wound to his thigh. As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, Barrick said Brown was listed in good condition.

Police said they believe Blakey, Gibson and Brown may have known one another. An argument over a woman prior to the incident may have been related to the incident, authorities said. Barrick previously said that witnesses to the stabbing described the knife as being as much as a foot long.

In court this morning, Quatrara said Blakey was supposed to be on two years of good behavior after being sentenced in June on a misdemeanor assault charge. According to court records, Blakey was sentenced June 30 to 60 days of jail time, all of which was suspended.

Quatrara talked with Blakey in court this morning about a few of his previous convictions. According to court records, he was convicted of petit larceny in 2007 in the city, a handful of bad check charges in 2002 in Albemarle County and two indecent exposure charges in 2007 in Buckingham County.

Blakey is scheduled to return Nov. 6 to court, at which time a date will be set for a preliminary hearing. He remains held without bond at Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.