On the evening of March 12, 2015, James Patrick Stuhlman, a 51-year-old Caucasian male, took his dog out for their customary walk through his Overbrook, Philadelphia neighborhood. This night, however, would tragically be his last. Stuhlman was alone, having told his daughter, who often accompanied him, to stay home—a decision authorities believe may have saved her life.
While on the 6400 block of Woodcrest Avenue, he was confronted by three teenagers who had just finished playing basketball and had decided to rob someone.
The three teens accosted Stuhlman, and despite his pleas of 'Please don't shoot me, please don't shoot me,' a struggle ensued, and he was shot once in the chest. The assailants fled without taking anything from him, leaving the senselessness of the act to amplify the tragedy. When police responded to reports of gunfire, they found Stuhlman unconscious in the street with a flashlight in one hand and his dog's leash in the other. His loyal dog remained by his side. He was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation quickly led to three local teenagers: 15-year-old Tyfine Hamilton, 15-year-old Brandon Smith, and an unidentified 14-year-old. Police identified Hamilton as the shooter. Following a police investigation, Hamilton turned himself in on March 20, 2015. Both he and Smith, who had prior histories of robbery, were charged as adults with murder, criminal conspiracy, and robbery, among other offenses. The 14-year-old accomplice faced lesser charges of robbery and conspiracy in juvenile court.
Tyfine Hamilton ultimately pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and in June 2016 was sentenced to 25 to 80 years in prison. Brandon Smith, who did not pull the trigger, rejected a plea deal and went to trial. In April 2017, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy, and robbery. Under Pennsylvania law, as a conspirator in a felony that resulted in a death, he was held equally liable. Due to his age at the time of the crime, he faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison.
