A 19-year-old New York man has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for luring his 15-year-old friend to a Syracuse park where the boy was shot and killed.
Prosecutors said Ja'Kye Jamison arranged for 15-year-old Karon Works to meet him at Lower Onondaga Park in Syracuse on the evening of Dec. 12, 2023, where Works was ambushed and shot multiple times.
Jamison was 16 at the time of the killing. He was convicted in March of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon after a jury trial in Onondaga County Court. Sentencing took place on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, according to People.
The judge imposed a sentence of 40 years to life, citing the severity of the crime and Jamison's conduct before and after the shooting. Prosecutors told the court that Jamison has shown no remorse.
They said he played a central role in planning the ambush, describing him as the "mastermind of the conspiracy" to kill Works. According to authorities, he coordinated the meeting and walked with Works and two other teens into a wooded area of the park shortly before the shooting.
Investigators said Works was shot at least six times and died from his injuries shortly after the attack, Syracuse reported.
Prosecutors described the killing as a calculated ambush. At trial, they presented surveillance video, phone records, and witness testimony, along with ballistic and forensic evidence, to link Jamison to the planning and to the scene. The jury found him guilty on all major counts but acquitted him of one additional weapons charge.
Jamison is one of three teenagers charged in connection with Works' death. Co-defendant Ny'Zhon Thomas previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 24 years to life in prison, while a third teen, Caleb Gibson, is awaiting trial on murder charges after pleading not guilty.
Prosecutors argued that because Jamison lured Works into the park and led him into the wooded area where he was killed, he should receive a much longer sentence than the others.
Officials from the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office said the case reflects ongoing concerns about gun violence and conflicts involving teenagers in Syracuse.
They said the outcome sends a message that planned, targeted killings will draw lengthy prison terms. Under New York's indeterminate sentencing rules for murder, Jamison will be eligible for parole only after serving at least 40 years, as per CNY Central.
