19-year-old Fort Wayne man to serve 80 years for fatal December shooting

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - A 19-year-old Fort Wayne man was sentenced Tuesday to 80 years in prison for fatally shooting a 23-year-old in December.

BACKGROUND:

Jurors found Charles Blair guilty of murder, criminal recklessness and a sentencing enhancement for using a gun in the slaying of Nilan Pearson.

Both men were attending a birthday party nearly a year ago when Blair was asked to leave, according to a probable cause affidavit written by Fort Wayne Police Detective Brian Martin. Blair, along with another man and two "unruly" underage girls were asked to leave, however, the men wanted to leave one of the girls behind.

MORE:

The victim followed the men to a car and argued with them about the girl they were attempting to leave behind, court documents say. Blair then jumped out of the car with a gun.

"I don't play that s***", Blair said to Pearson, a witness told police.

Multiple witnesses identified Blair as the person Pearson was arguing with before the shooting.

During an interview with detectives, Blair admitted to a verbal and physical altercation outside of the party before the shooting but said that he wasn't looking for trouble, court records show. The now-convicted killer then asked Martin if they had spoken to anyone else and told him that people were shooting at him outside of the party.

COURT DOCS: Bad energy, drama at party led to Tuesday morning shooting

Blair asked to call his mom, then repeatedly apologized to her, claiming the shooting was self-defense and saying the police were not listening to him. He told his mother the guns were not his.

After the phone call, police attempted to ask Blair more about the shooting, court documents say, but Blair told detectives he had "no comment." However, he told police he knew he was going to jail and going away for a long time.

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