Ray Joseph Dandridge pleaded guilty to three counts of capital murder this afternoon in an agreement that he would serve life in prison without parole in the deaths of the Tucker/Baskerville family on Jan. 6 and of the Harvey family on Jan. 1.
 
Richmond Circuit Judge Richard D. Taylor Jr. sentenced him to life without parole.  Dandridge waived his right to appeal.

            During the proceeding, Dandridge responded only with yes or no answers to the judge’s questions. He showed no emotion during the proceedings, but looked into the spectators rows to see if any of his family members were present as he was being led away by court offiers.

          The 12 jurors and four alternates seated for his trial were not present for the pleading, and were excused after it was completed shortly after 4 p.m.

Dandridge was charged with capital murder in the Jan. 6 deaths of Percyell Tucker, 55, Mary Baskerville Tucker, 47, and her daughter, Ashley Baskerville, 21. If convicted by a jury, he could have faced a sentence of death.

Taylor retired to his chambers about noon trying to decide whether to allow a defense request that the jury consider convicting Dandridge of first-degree murder. At 1:45 p.m., he called all six attorneys to join him in his chambers.

The Tuckers were killed in their home on East Broad Rock Road in South Richmond in what started out as a robbery of the Tuckers.

According to evidence, Dandridge and his uncle, Ricky Javon Gray, restrained the Tuckers’ ankles and wrists with duct tape, a belt and a phone cord while they ransacked the house. Dandridge later told police that he had placed duct tape over the mouths and noses of the victims—contributing to their deaths by suffocation.

          The men loaded two televisions, two stereos, three sets of speakers, some jewelry and food into Percyell Tucker’s 1993 Chevrolet Blazer, which they later drove to Philadelphia.

But at some point, they decided that Baskerville — who used to date Dandridge but was dating Gray at the time — had to die.

“[Gray] got tired of the girl, so he decided to kill her,” Dandridge said in the statement.

Dandridge and Gray were arrested the following day in Philadelphia.

Gray was convicted last month of capital murder in the New Year’s Day bludgeoning deaths of the Harvey family — Bryan, 49; Kathryn, 39; Stella, 9; and Ruby, 4 — in their Woodland Heights home. The jury recommended the death penalty. Gray will be sentenced next month.

          Prosecutor Michael N. Herring said today that Dandridge participated in the Harvey slayings by cutting the throat of Bryan Harvey and by providing Gray with a hammer that was used the bludgeoning deaths of the family

Both men are also suspected in the death of Gray’s wife, Treva, in Washington, Pa., in November and the attempted murder of an Arlington man in December.

Since noon, Judge Richard D. Taylor Jr. has been in his chambers trying to decide whether to allow the jury to consider convicting Dandridge of first-degree murder.

At 1:45 p.m., he called all six attorneys into his chambers, and Richmond Sheriff’s Capt. Roger Moss just announced that court will reconvene at 3:15.

The jury still has not heard closing arguments,

A conviction of capital murder carries only two possible sentences—life in prison without parole or the death penalty. A conviction of first-degree murder carries up to life in prison.

The defense has argued that Dandridge should not be eligible for a capital murder conviction because they say he has not been proven to be the “immediate perpetrator” of the Tucker/Baskerville deaths.

The jury in the Ray Joseph Dandridge capital murder trial has gone to lunch. The case will resume at 1:10 p.m.

The defense will not present any evidence in the murder trial of Ray Joseph Dandridge.

After agreeing on jury instructions, attorneys will present their closing arguments.

Jurors are expected to begin their deliberations this afternoon.

The prosecution just rested its case after the medical examiner finished testifying.

Now, the court is taking a brief break to review the defense’s written motion to strike the charges against Dandridge.

On cross examination, defense attorney Claire Cardwell asked former medical examiner Dr. Darin Trelka whether Percyell and Mary Tucker and Ashley Baskerville could have died because of the gags in their mouths—not simply because of the duct tape over their faces.

The jury deciding the fate of Ray Joseph Dandridge this morning saw the graphic photos of what happened to Ashley Baskerville, Mary Tucker and Percyell Tucker in their East Broad Rock Road home on Jan. 6.

In a painstaking and methodical 90-minute direct examination of medical examiner Dr. Darin Trelka that was part biology class and part CSI, prosecutor Mike Herring walked the jury through each duct tape-suffocation slaying.

The final prosecution witness in the guilt phase of Ray Dandridge’s trial will testify this morning. Darin Trelka, a former state medical examiner, is expected to tell jurors that the Tucker/Baskerville family died of suffocation.

Then, the defense could present evidence. They have not said whether they will.

The jury could begin deliberations this afternoon.