BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — Two gang members were sentenced to prison for their roles in an April 2024 shooting on V Street that killed Dontrell Demetrius Smith, 29, according to Kern County court records.
Rodney Gipson was sentenced to 25 years to life, plus 10 years for first-degree murder, weapon, and gang-related charges; meanwhile, Marlon Burch was sentenced to 42 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter, weapon and gang-related charges.
PREVIOUS REPORTING: 2 suspects arrested in deadly V Street shooting: BPD
On March 18, 2026, Gipson pleaded no contest to first-degree murder, weapon and gang charges. On the same day, Burch pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, weapon and gang charges.
The case dates back to April 25, 2024, when Bakersfield police officers responded at around 6:45 p.m. to a ShotSpotter activation in the 800 block of V Street. Officers found the victim in the road, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
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The Kern County Coroner’s Office confirmed in early June 2024 that Dontrell Smith, of Bakersfield, was shot multiple times and his death was a homicide.