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.