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Alexandria man sentenced to life in prison for 2019 Roanoke murder

Lansana was sentenced Wednesday afternoon

Kai Lansana (Roanoke Police Department) (WSLS)

ROANOKE, Va. – Kai Lansana was sentenced to life in prison in Roanoke City Circuit Court Wednesday stemming from his involvement in the murder of 24-year-old Salonya Evans in Roanoke in 2019, according to RPD.

On July 21, 2019 deputies responded to a report of someone who had been shot in the 900 block of Morehead Avenue Southeast. Officers found Evans outside of a residence with a gunshot wound and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

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As previously reported the then-32-year-old Lansana was indicted and found guilty of the first-degree murder of Evans in May of this year.

Along with the life sentence for First Degree Murder, Lansana was also sentenced to five years for Statutory burglary and 3 years for the Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. His total time he has to serve now is life plus eight years.


About the Author

Duncan Weigand joined WSLS 10’s digital team in June 2024, weeks after graduating from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s in communication studying multimedia journalism and a cognate in marketing.

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