Man retried in 2005 San Francisco double murder sentenced to 2 life terms

A man who was convicted after being retried in the murders of two people in San Francisco more than two decades ago will spend the rest of his life in prison, prosecutors said.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' office announced Thursday that 42-year-old Joseph Stevens was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in state prison without the possibility of parole, each followed by a sentence of 25 years to life.

Stevens was convicted late last year of first-degree murder with special circumstances in the 2005 shooting deaths of 22-year-old Dernae Wysinger and 2-year-old Naemon Wysinger. He was also convicted of assault with a firearm against the boy's mother, who survived the shooting.

For the assault with a firearm conviction, Stevens received a three-year sentence.

According to the D.A.'s office, Stevens was originally convicted in 2007, but a federal district court overturned his conviction in 2018.

"The retraumatization that this family experienced after the overturning of Mr. Steven's original conviction after 16 years was unimaginable," Jenkins said in a statement. "It took immeasurable courage by the victim and other witnesses to relive this horrifying tragedy and ensure that he was held accountable."

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Dernae Wysinger, Naemon Wysinger and Naemon's mother were arriving at a family member's house on Oct. 14, 2005, when Stevens approached with a high-powered rifle. Prosecutors said Stevens fired into the victims' parked vehicle.

Dernae died in the shooting, while Naemon died from his injuries shortly after arriving at San Francisco General Hospital. The mother suffered injuries in the shooting but survived.

"The sentence imposed by the court illustrates the gravity of this offense – which included the murder of a two-year old little boy, the callousness of this crime and Mr. Steven's lack of remorse," Jenkins added.