Man sentenced to life in prison for execution-style double murders

ROCKVILLE, Md. (WUSA) – A 22-year-old Maryland man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the execution-style killing of two young men in 2019.

On Friday, a Montgomery County Circuit judge sentenced Andy Panton to two life sentences without the possibility of parole plus 60 years.

Two families are feeling a semblance of justice knowing Panton will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Panton was convicted of coming up behind 24-year-old Christian Roberts and 23-year-old Jordan Radway and killing them in what prosecutors call “execution style.”

“These two young men were literally executed, shot from behind, in a car, in Silver Spring,” Montgomery County District Attorney John McCarthy said. “Sadly, and I’ve spoken to the family about this, this is another instance where a young person’s life was lost in the county over marijuana.”

Police found Roberts and Radway shot to death inside a crashed car in White Oak, Maryland, in January 2019.

The incident stemmed from what investigators believe was a marijuana deal.

Panton and two others, Noah Barnett and Dontaye Hunt, were charged.

Barnett was sentenced to 42 years. Hunt’s sentencing is next Friday. Both men are 21 years old.

The families of Radway and Roberts say justice is served, but not all they’re owed.

“This part is not over. We still have one more sentencing hearing to go through and this part of our lives will be over after Friday and we still have to navigate a whole life of not having our sons around,” Christian Roberts’ father, Donald Roberts, said.

The two families say their sons had entrepreneurial minds that weren’t able to see those dreams come to fruition.

“Justice was served but it doesn’t make it any easier for us,” Jordan Radway’s father, Peter Radway, said.