A North Philly woman who killed a man in a botched robbery will spend up to 25 years in prison

A North Philadelphia woman who killed a man during a botched robbery in Pottstown in 2022 was sentenced Wednesday to 10 to 25 years in prison.

Jahme Barnes, 19, was handed that punishment by Montgomery County Court Judge William R. Carpenter. Barnes, who was 17 at the time of the fatal shooting, pleaded guilty in June to third-degree murder for killing Dakari Rome, 25, while sitting with him and a group of teens inside a parked car in Pottstown.

Barnes, who has been in custody for two years, will be eligible for parole after eight more years, said her attorney James Lyons.

Barnes killed Rome, who her lawyers say was her friend, while they attempted to rob a 17-year-old of his gun, prosecutors said. Barnes and Rome plotted the robbery along with Kahseem Williams, 20, prosecutors said.

Rome, a friend of the teen’s, invited him to “hang out with some girls” in Pottstown on the night of Aug. 28, 2022, authorities said.

After spending a few hours together, the group sat inside Rome’s parked Audi SUV and at one point Rome asked to see the teen’s 9mm handgun. He then passed the gun to Williams, who passed it to Barnes, who posed with it and took selfies, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Barnes’ arrest.

Then Barnes pointed the gun at the teen and demanded to know what else he had on him, according to the affidavit.

The teen swatted the gun away from Barnes as she pointed it at him and it went off, the affidavit said. A bullet passed through the teen’s hand and struck Rome in the chest. The teen then ran from the car as Williams got out and fired at him, according to the affidavit.

Williams was later taken into custody and charged with third-degree murder and attempted murder. He pleaded guilty to those charges in July 2023 and was sentenced to 12 to 24 years in prison.

Barnes agreed to plead guilty to third-degree murder after prosecutors dropped a first-degree murder charge and agreed to cap her sentence at 12 to 25 years in state prison.

Assistant District Attorney Gabrielle Hughes said the judge had factored in the gravity of the crime and its impact on the community in reaching the sentence. But she said the Rome family was “devastated” and felt no sentence would be sufficient for the loss of a loved one.

“It’s hard to say it’s a just conclusion when you have a grieving family,” said Hughes. “I know that no number will feel like justice to the Rome family.”

Barnes’ attorneys, Lyons and Karen Thek, said Wednesday that the judge’s sentence was fair. In her time in custody, Barnes has dedicated herself to rehabilitation, they said, and she was remorseful about her crime.

“She can’t take back what happened, but she is dedicated to having a better future,” said Thek.