A Winston-Salem man has been sentenced to over 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of his mother last July. Joshua Isiah Ross, 23, entered the plea on Monday and was sentenced to 10 years and 5 months to nearly 13 years and 9 months. He received credit for the nearly two years he spent in jail awaiting trial.
Police responded to Burke Village Lane on July 1, 2023, and found 55-year-old Sharon Ross dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Witnesses reported Joshua Ross was acting strangely and admitted to killing his mother. Surveillance footage showed him repeatedly entering and leaving the apartment that evening.
Ross, who had legally purchased the gun two weeks prior, told investigators the shooting happened during a struggle after his mother tried to take the weapon. He also claimed he had smoked marijuana that may have been laced, though no drugs were found at the scene.