Dayton man gets life sentence in triple murder; ‘It was a senseless, non-caring act’

A Dayton man convicted of killing three people in 2020 was sentenced to decades behind bars.

Octavius Lamont Humphrey, 42, was sentenced to 66 years to life in prison in a triple murder that authorities described as a targeted attack connected to a robbery with ties to drug sales.

In November 2020, Dayton police were called to investigate a shooting in the 2600 block of North Gettysburg Avenue. One of the victims called 911 and identified the shooter as “Mont.” Within less than a minute, the victim was reportedly no longer responding to the dispatcher.

After an investigation, Humphrey was arrested and charged in the case.

The shooting left 45-year-old Dontay Alston of Dayton, 48-year-old Michael A. Jackson of Dayton and 37-year-old Justin Wilson of Wilmington dead.

Humphrey’s legal team unsuccessfully tried to get the charges dismissed last year, according to court records. He was convicted of murder, felonious assault and other charges after a jury trial in April. His attorney, Kevin Lennen, declined comment when reached Thursday.

Family members of the three slain men were given an opportunity to speak during the Thursday morning sentencing. Wilson’s mother said that her son’s death has left a void in his children’s lives and everyone else’s who knew him.

“You shot Justin Wilson, Michael Jackson and Dontay Alston for $4,500 and weed,” Wilson’s mother said. “You shot these three men. It was a senseless, non-caring act,”

She said Humphrey showed no mercy to his victims, and she hopes the three men can rest in peace.

“I am here to stand before you to say: Octavius Lamont Humphrey, until you accept full responsibility for this action, you will have no peace. Until you accept responsibility for killing these three men, you will have no peace.”

The sister of Dontay Alston said Humphrey’s action robbed them of moments they were supposed to enjoy.

“My brother will never get to walk his girls down the aisle, my sister-in-law will never get to grow old with her husband, my brother will not be standing with me when I welcome my other brother home,” she said. “My father will not get to see his son grow old.

“I will never be able to see my brother smile again,” she said. “I will never be able to hear his laugh again. You took that from me. You took that from us.”

Finally, the son of Michael Jackson also spoke and said his father treated everyone around him like a friend.

“My dad, he was a caring person, a loving person,” the son said. “He didn’t just love his family, he loved everybody around him.”

The son said that he had a special connection with Jackson, and he and his family miss him.

Credit: Montgomery County Jail

Credit: Montgomery County Jail

Humphrey also spoke during the hearing and said he wanted to renew objections made at trial and said a mistrial should have been declared. Lennen said that Humphrey has family who has stuck by him throughout the legal proceedings.

Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Steven Dankof heard the case and sentenced Humphrey.

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