Schenectady man sentenced in 2017 killings of four in Troy; Testified against co-defendent

TROY — One of two Schenectady men accused in the 2017 slaying of four people in Troy — and the only man to plead guilty — was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life in state prison, Rensselaer County District Attorney’s officials said.

Justin Mann, 28, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty earlier to four counts of second-degree murder in the Dec. 21, 2017, killings of Brandi Mells, 22, Shanta Myers, 36, and Myers’ two children: Jeremiah Myers, 11, and Shanise Myers, 5.

White was sentenced to four separate terms of 25 years to life, to be served at the same time.

Mann twice testified against co-defendant James White, 42, who was also charged. White, also of Schenectady, was convicted last month and now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“This case is one of the worst crime scenes that I as a prosecutor, my staff and the law enforcement officers that responded, have ever seen,” District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly. “Mann’s testimony at both trials proved that he is a violent felon, and deserves to be incarcerated for a long time.”

White and Mann killed the four in the victims’ Lansingburgh home. The victims weren’t discovered until five days later, Dec. 26, 2017. Police then arrested White and Mann three days after that.

White and Mann were accused of killing the four during a robbery, taking an Xbox game system and a flat-screen television.

Prosecutors presented 27 witnesses at White’s recent trial, including Mann. They also presented more than 600 exhibits at White’s trial.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew B. Hauf and ADA Cheryl McDermott prosecuted.

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