Youth lifer to get new sentence offer in teen’s 1987 slaying

    The Philadelphia district attorney’s office has agreed to offer a new sentence to a man who received a life sentence without parole as a juvenile for killing another teen nearly three decades ago.

    Forty-four-year-old Kempis Songster and another teen were convicted of murdering Anjo Pryce in a drug house in 1987. The killing happened when they were 15.

    The Philadelphia Inquirer reports their cases are back in the courts after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in January retroactively banned automatic youth sentences of life without parole.

    District Attorney Seth Williams has offered all inmates who were at least 15 during the crimes a new sentence of 35 years to life. Songster’s attorney said they want to hear the offer.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    Prosecutors say an offer will be prepared by Nov. 21.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal