Man Sentenced to 40 Years Following Jury Conviction for Shooting, Killing Man Outside Ghent Apartment in 2024
NORFOLK, Va. — Vandes Jackson, 57, was sentenced on Friday to serve 40 years in prison after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of murder for shooting and killing 44-year-old Bradley Kristoffer Kortbawi at point-blank range outside a Ghent apartment building last summer.
After midnight on July 6, 2024, Mr. Kortbawi was standing outside an apartment building on Core Avenue smoking a cigarette and conversing with his two friends, one of whom lived in the building. Mr. Jackson, who was a neighbor, walked around the building, approached Mr. Kortbawi’s group, and claimed to have heard one of them say a racial slur that Mr. Jackson found offensive. Mr. Kortbawi assured Mr. Jackson that no one in his group had said the alleged slur and proceeded to turn away from Mr. Jackson. As Mr. Kortbawi turned his head, Mr. Jackson pulled a gun from his pocket, placed it against Mr. Kortbawi’s temple, and shot Mr. Kortbawi in his head, killing him. Stunned, Mr. Kortbawi’s friend who lived inside the apartment building told Mr. Jackson that he had just shot her friend, to which Mr. Jackson responded, “Then call the police,” before walking away.
Dispatch records showed that Mr. Jackson had called 911 prior to the shooting at 12:39 a.m. asking for assistance from police after hearing the alleged slur. The operator spoke with Mr. Jackson for several minutes, providing him with possible solutions that did not involve interacting with anyone in the group, and Mr. Jackson told the operator that he would handle the situation. Mr. Jackson called 911 again at 1:17 a.m. saying that he had shot someone and incorporated some of the language that the previous 911 operator had used in an attempt to mitigate his liability. When the first Norfolk Police officer arrived at the apartment building, Mr. Jackson came back, admitted to shooting Mr. Kortbawi, directed the officer to Mr. Kortbawi’s body, and allowed the officer to take him into custody without incident. Based on the police’s investigation, Mr. Jackson was charged with second-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of murder.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office later secured a direct indictment from a grand jury against Mr. Jackson for first-degree murder. Mr. Jackson pleaded not guilty to his charges and requested a jury trial, which took place between Sept. 23 and 24, 2025. After deliberating for 30 minutes, the jury convicted Mr. Jackson as charged. Judge Everett A. Martin Jr., who presided over the jury trial, set Mr. Jackson’s sentencing hearing on Dec. 5.
At his sentencing hearing on Friday, the Commonwealth argued for Mr. Jackson to serve an active sentence of 39 years, which was at the high end of his state sentencing guidelines. Mr. Jackson’s defense counsel argued for a lesser sentence at the low end of his guidelines. After hearing the arguments, Judge Martin sentenced Mr. Jackson to serve 40 years in prison, suspending another five years on the condition that Mr. Jackson is of uniform good behavior for the remainder of his life after his release.
“Mr. Kortbawi did not do anything to deserve his death at the hands of Mr. Jackson, and Mr. Jackson’s sentence reflects the senselessness and cruelty of his crime,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Jackson’s sentence reflects these aggravated facts and the danger he would pose to the community, and it is a sanction that fits his crime. I wish Mr. Kortbawi’s family and friends peace as they continue to cope with their loss.”
Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Phil Y. Bailey and Emily A. Woodley prosecuted Mr. Jackson’s case, and Norfolk Police Detective Ryan B. Davis led the investigation.
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