19-year-old sentenced to death in Kent State student slaying

RAVENNA, Ohio – A 19-year-old Ohio man has been sentenced to death for fatally shooting a Kent State University student during an off-campus home invasion.

Damantae Graham, of Akron, was one of three teens charged in the Feb. 7 murder of 18-year-old Nick Massa. A Portage County judge sentenced Graham to death on Tuesday after considering mitigating factors including his age, neglectful parents and an unstable home life.

Messages were left Thursday for Graham’s attorneys.

Police say Graham and two 17-year-old co-defendants broke into an apartment near Kent State’s campus and demanded money. Graham shot and killed Massa before the three fled.

Graham was convicted on charges of aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and kidnapping on Nov. 8.

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