Montrose Woman's Killer Gets Life In Prison

MONTROSE, CA – A 22-year-old Long Beach man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Tuesday for his role in the follow-home robbery-murder of a 67-year-old Montrose woman last year.

James Wesley "Man-Man" Trotter was found guilty Aug. 15 of murder, second-degree robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with a special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a robbery.

Prosecutors decided against seeking the death penalty against Trotter and co-defendant Devon T. White, 21, of Lynwood, who was found guilty of the same charges. He was sentenced on Aug. 29 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

A third co-defendant, Tonaye Eunice James, 23, of Las Vegas, pleaded no contest on July 31 to one count of second-degree robbery and was sentenced on Sept. 5 to 12 years in state prison.

White and Trotter followed Hye Soon Oh from her swapmeet-based business in Lynwood to her townhouse complex in the 2900 block of Montrose Avenue on Aug. 8, 2017. The victim was then gunned down and robbed in the building's garage. White was determined to be the person who fired the fatal shot.

White was arrested nine days after the crime by Glendale police. He was convicted in 2015 of possession for sale of cocaine base and was on probation at the time of his arrest. (For more California news, sign up for real-time news alerts and free morning newsletters from your local California Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Trotter was taken into custody two weeks later. He was free on bail or his own recognizance at the time in another case, and has prior convictions for second-degree robbery and grand theft.

Related: Man Sentenced To Life For Murdering Montrose Woman During Robbery; Duo Charged With Murder Of Montrose Woman To Face Judge

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock