Woman found guilty in deadly Walnut Hills shooting - but not of murder

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CINCINNATI (WXIX) - A woman was found guilty Friday in a Walnut Hills shooting that left her partner, a youth advocate counselor, dead.

Jasmine Blake was found guilty of two counts of felonious assault with a gun specification in connection with the killing of 33-year-old Diamond Rice.

However, the jury acquitted her of more serious charges of aggravated murder and murder.

The shooting happened in the 2300 block of May Street on Feb. 1.

She was indicted after Cincinnati police said their investigation determined, based on evidence at the crime scene, statements made by the defendant during 911 calls and other witness accounts, that Blake shot and killed Rice during an argument.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich declined comment.

Blake’s attorney, Clyde Bennett II, provided the following statement to FOX19 NOW:

Rice was a Baltimore native and worked as a youth advocate counselor, providing support to children in the justice system.

“She wasn’t just a daughter. She was a counselor, she was a teacher, she was my friend,” Wanda Sommonds, Rice’s mother, said.

Her mother described her as a kind and empathetic person.

“Diamond is the type of person that’s always concerned about your well-being,” Sommonds said. “She’s not telling you what to do. She’s concerned, and she has real heavy empathy on others.”

After the verdict was delivered, Sommonds said she still felt that justice hadn’t been served.

“I feel like they shorted my daughter a lot,” she said. “It was a guilty verdict, but she didn’t get everything that she was charged of. She didn’t get a murder conviction. So I felt like she was shorted”

While she waits to hear what the sentencing will be. She said she wants to continue to raise awareness for her daughter and for domestic violence.

“Love don’t hurt. Anything that feels off, anything that’s negative, that don’t feel like a normal thing. I feel like you should look at stuff like that,” she said.

Blake will return to court for her sentencing in October. She faced five to 11 years in prison.

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