Bloods Gang Member Gets 18 Years in Jail for Barbeque Slaying in Essex County

An Essex County judge sentenced an admitted member of the Bloods street gang to 18 years in state prison on Wednesday for gunning down a father of three during a 2013 Memorial Day barbeque in Newark.

In April, a jury convicted Richard Whatley, 21, of Hillside, of passion/provocation manslaughter and unlawful possession of a handgun. Whatley must serve 12 and a half years before he is eligible for parole.

He was acquitted of the more serious offense of murder, prosecutors stated.

According to prosecutors, Whatley brought a concealed handgun to a family barbeque on May 27, 2013.

He was asked to leave the barbeque following an argument involving his friend and several women, but returned and started fighting again, reported witnesses.

When Teshon Clegg, 32, intervened in an effort to stop the dispute, Whatley pulled out his concealed handgun and shot Clegg in the chest in front of a crowd that included several children.

In imposing sentence, Judge Ronald Wigler noted that Whatley was an admitted member of the “793 Bloods” street gang, and also had a juvenile record that included numerous arrests.