Man gets life in North Braddock shooting death of 85-year-old

A Swissvale man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced on Wednesday for first-degree murder in the shooting death of an 85-year-old man.

Courde Day, 23, was found guilty by a jury in June for killing James Dent Jr. Day was sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Beth A. Lazzara on Wednesday for murder, as well as for aggravated assault for the shooting of Thomas Cole, who owned a North Braddock cellular store.

Cole survived being shot four times in the leg on Nov. 19, 2018. He testified against Day at trial.

According to police, the day after Cole was shot, Day returned to the cellular store and shot Dent, Cole’s best friend, who frequently hung out there with him.

Cole testified that he was in the apartment living space at the back of his Jones Avenue store that day as he had been treated and released from a hospital. He said he heard shots out front. After the gunfire ended, he found Dent lying on the ground, shot in the back.

Dent told him, “‘Dae Dae’ shot him.,’” Cole testified.

Dent initially survived the shooting, but was paralyzed in his lower body.

He died May 9, 2019, from an infection caused by the gunshot wound.

Cole, who testified that he and Day had been long-time friends, admitted during his testimony that he sold drugs out of his store and kept guns there.

In a written victim impact statement, Dent’s nephews said that their uncle worked as a laborer his entire life. After retirement, he enjoyed going to the casino and spending time with friends.

“He was a good man who didn’t deserve to have his life ended so tragically,” wrote James and Meredith Dent. “This young man who killed our uncle will never know how much this man is missed.”

The life without parole sentence for first-degree murder is mandatory. In addition to that, Lazzara ordered him to serve an additional 27 to 54 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm.