Mohamed Aly was arrested at the age of 18, he was convicted at Halifax County Circuit Court with a sentence of four consecutive life sentences with an additional 18 years at the age of 19 in December of 2020. The court has placed restrictions on DNA evidence and statements that could possibly help Mohamed with an appeal. Evidence was withheld from Mohamed which resulted in him being coerced to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty. At the time of his sentencing in December 2020, the death penalty was still a legal punishment for crime in the state of Virginia. As of July 2021 Virginia has abolished the death penalty. Mohamed had yet to complete his senior year of high school before he was arrested in February 2020. If this incident had occurred three months prior he would have been eligible for parole. While he was no longer considered a minor at the time of his arrest he was still very young and living life as an average high school student. Mohamed’s life as a student and the significant role he played to his peers and teammates does not portray that he is a danger to society. He took a variation of higher level honors and AP level courses. In his senior year he was accepted to many colleges such as Morehouse College, Hampton University, Tuskegee University, FAMU, and East Carolina. Engaging and staying on top of academics was a priority to Mohamed as he understood the importance of being educated and involved in school and his community. Multiple character letters have been sent to court on his behalf to express the positive interactions they have experienced with him. Additionally, he played a big part in the high school football team by continuously pushing his teammates to strive for success both on and off the field. Mohamed was a captain and a role model for not only the younger athletes but his peers as well. Mohamed has sent his deepest condolences to both families affected. I thank anyone who has taken the time to read this and ask if you would consider signing this petition to help Mohamed Aly be granted with a sentence reduction by the Governor of Virginia.