Xavier Colvin Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and Robbery in Deadly 2022 Shooting

Posted on 3/15/2023

Defendant: Xavier Colvin

Xavier Colvin of Columbus pled guilty today to involuntary manslaughter with a 3-year firearm specification and to robbery in the July 2022 shooting death of 21-year-old Christopher Roberts.

Colvin, 22, was immediately sentenced to 16 to 21½ years in prison by Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott.

On July 7, 2022, two men, who hours earlier were the victims of a robbery, recruited Colvin to assist in retaking their property, including marijuana. The three men were joined by a fourth man before heading to the scene on Chatterton Road in southeast Columbus. All four were armed. The four men fired their weapons at Roberts and another man. One of the shots hit Roberts, an innocent individual who had nothing to do with the stolen goods. Roberts died from the gunshot wound.

Video surveillance captured the incident from multiple angles. The case remains under investigation.

Steven Schott and Seth Enlow, both assistant prosecuting attorneys with the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, prosecuted this case.