YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO – 20-year-old Jacoby Maurice Walker was sentenced for his involvement in the 2022 death of Isiah Helms. Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Maureen Sweeney sentenced Walker to 8 – 10½ years behind bars. In May, Walker was convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter with an attached Firearm Specification. This plea bargain was negotiated prior to Prosecutor Maro taking office.
Walker is one of three co-defendants who have been sentenced for the death of Helms. His plea, along with his co- defendants, was negotiated by the prior administration. Assistant Prosecutor Robert Andrews successfully prosecuted this case.
In February 2022, Isaiah Helms was reported missing; police found him at the Mt. Hope Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Following an investigation, several people were arrested, including Jamiyah Brooks, Nathaniel Austin Jr., a juvenile female, and Jacoby Walker. In 2024, Brooks was sentenced to 17-22.5 years in prison for Voluntary Manslaughter with an attached firearm specification and Tampering with Evidence. Nathaniel Austin Jr. was also sentenced to 3 years behind bars for his role in Helms’ death following a conviction of Tampering with Evidence. All convictions stemmed from plea agreements negotiated under the prior administration.
Prosecutor Maro would like to thank the Youngstown Police Department and the U.S. Marshals for their hard work on this case, which led to this prosecution.
