Arlon Watson given long sentence for murder of Compton teenager



Problems and solutions

Judge Eleanor J. Hunter was not happy with Arlon Watson’s behavior in court. She was fed up with his giggling, irreverence, and open disdain for the prosecution. But before she spoke directly to the convicted murderer, she said a few words about his family. “I know your family has been here throughout this process,” she said. “And they’ve been kind and courteous. Your people have been great in this court. But looking at you, Mr. Watson, I can see that in this instance, the apple did indeed fall very far from the tree.”

After over three weeks of trial and jury deliberation, Judge Hunter sentenced 22-year-old Compton resident Arlon Watson to 80 years to life in prison for the fatal shooting of high school student Dannie Farber, Jr.

Earlier in the week, a jury found Watson guilty of first-degree murder. In contrast to the dress shirts and slacks he wore during the trial, Watson appeared before the judge on Wednesday in a blue LA County Jail jumpsuit. He declined to make a public statement.

Two members of Farber’s family took the opportunity to stand up and share what was on their hearts. Kenneth McGee, who helped raise Farber from early on, said justice would be served if the judge gave Watson “whatever he’s got coming to him.” McGee choked back tears and excused his language as he described Farber as “one hell of a good athlete.” He remembered the shock of going from helping to plan a high school prom to suddenly planning a funeral. As he spoke, Farber’s mother, Danielle Lewis, crossed her arms on the back of the seat in front of her and put her head in the crook of her elbow.
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Farber’s aunt, Rachel Malveaux, struggled to make it through her first sentence, her voice cracking as soon as she began to speak. A clerk brought her a box of tissues. “Parents are supposed to go before you,” she said, “but these days it seems like children are going before their parents.”

Watson appeared unaffected by the words of Farber’s family. He smiled eerily and exchanged seemingly light-hearted words with his attorney as McGee and Malveaux spoke.

After the family’s statements, Deputy District Attorney Joe Porras said he had submitted a recommendation for sentencing to the judge, hoping she would take into consideration a prior conviction for robbery and gang and gun allegations that were also found to be true.

Porras also offered an emotional reaction at the end of the trial. “I’ve worked on around 30 murder trials, and this is the only one where the murder was actually captured on video,” Porras said, referring to a security tape from the restaurant where Farber was eating when he was shot. “Those 40 seconds of video are going to be with me long after retirement.”

Defense attorney Tracy Grayson had nothing to say on behalf of Watson, but did object to Porras’ statements, saying they were part of an overly emotional and rehearsed act put on for the news camera in the courtroom.

Judge Hunter overruled his objection.

Before officially issuing the sentence, the judge spoke pointedly to Watson.

“You can smile and giggle all you want, but you’re a murderer,” she said. “You can go back to your gang people and high five them, but one day my words will come back and haunt you.”

“It’s not just that you took a life. It’s the life you took,” Hunter continued. “People can be a part of the problem or a part of the solution. Dannie Farber was part of the solution and you are part of the problem.”

Hunter gave Watson the maximum sentence, 80 years to life, for the combination of his murder, gang, gun, and robbery charges. She said the possibility for parole was unlikely.

Hunter concluded: “We saw pure evil in this court, and is you, Arlon Watson.”

A family still in mourning

Listen to audio of Kennth McGee reacting to the sentencing of Arlon Watson.

For Farber’s family members, who have been in court for every day of the trial, the morning of the sentencing felt like the emotional culmination of the long search for Farber’s murderer.

Sitting outside the courtroom, Farber’s mother reflected on the guilty verdict and sentencing.

“I’m just glad it’s over, just happy that justice was served,” she said. “It won’t bring Dannie back, but I’m glad Watson’s off the street, somewhere where he won’t be able to hurt another family like he hurt our family.”

Michelle Malveaux, Farber’s grandmother agreed. “I’m happy for the verdict. I’m ready to get my party on.”

Around 25 friends and family members of Farber’s attended the hearing, and Malveaux seemed to be the cheerleader of the bunch, greeting everyone as they gathered. She wore a pin with a picture of Farber, but wished she could have made T-shirts. “We make T-shirts to celebrate everything related to Dannie,” she explained. “Dannie’s birthday, holidays, everything, we do a T-shirt. I’ve got a sign in my front yard with his picture on it. After today, I’m getting another sign that says ‘justice is served.’”

Once she sat down, her energy momentarily waned. Today she felt a particular kind of sadness, similar to how she felt the day she first learned Farber had been killed. “It’s not my body that’s tired,” she said, “It’s my brain.”

McGee shared a similar sentiment. “Emotions are running high today,” he said.

He tipped his head back, and spoke about Dannie. “Whatever he set his mind out to do, he achieved. He had this football shirt that said ‘Finish’ on it, so whenever I’m struggling, I think about that. I’m going to finish everything I start, including coming to every single day of this trial.

“The worst part now is watching your son’s mother cry every night and morning and not being able to fix it. I can fix a lot of things, but not a broken heart.”

Beyond wreaking emotional havoc, the trial has also taken a physical toll on McGee, who switched his shift at Metro to work at night. Every morning for almost the past month, McGee would come to court straight off his work shift, go home, “sleep for an hour or two” in the afternoon and return to his night shift at Metro that evening.

McGee said Watson was a coward. “People say it’s a loss on both sides. I don’t feel that way. His family can still go see him in prison, but I’ve got to go to a cemetery if I want to see my son.”

“Today I feel satisfaction, but not closure,” he said. “I still live with the pain every day.”

Other stories on the Arlon Watson Trial:
Compton Court hears closing arguments in Arlon Watson Trial

Watson trial offers glimpse inside deadly deep-rooted gang rivalries