CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge David T. Matia sentenced a Cleveland man convicted of killing his estranged wife in front of their 7-year-old daughter to life in prison during a sentencing hearing Thursday.
Joshua Lynch, 36, will not be eligible for parole until he has served 28.5 years behind bars.
"If there was ever an individual that doesn't deserve to walk free amongst organized society, it's you," Judge Matia said.
The judge noticed Lynch smirked as he learned his fate.
"Is this fun for you?" he asked. "I don't understand why you're smiling."
Matia found Lynch guilty of two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault, two counts of having weapons under disability, one count of endangering children, and one count of gross abuse of a corpse after a bench trial last week.
Lynch shot and killed his estranged wife, Jovon Ferguson-Lynch, at her Huntmere Avenue home in Cleveland while their then 7-year-old daughter was present in February 2023.
After shooting her twice, Lynch dragged her body and left it in a car and then took off in another car with their daughter.
Days later, Lynch turned himself in.
News 5 first told you about Lynch's case last year.
Our investigation revealed Lynch was out on the streets and able to kill Jovon despite being convicted in a dozen felony cases in Cuyahoga County, including one where he was accused of threatening her with a gun.
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Jovon's three sisters and her mother, Annetta Ferguson, gave victim impact statements during the hearing.
"He took my baby sister from us," said Terrasita Ferguson. "My niece don't have a mom, nor does she have a f$%#&%* father."
Ferguson is raising Jovon's daughter.
"My (grand)daughter ain't gonna never see her mother again," she said. "I got custody of her. I can't take the place of her (Jovon)."
