Kinston Man Sentenced to 25–31 Years After Pleading Guilty to Second-Degree Murder

Greenville New Bern Washington, NC, October 14, 2026 —

Jataves Ellison, a 21-year-old man from Kinston, North Carolina, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the death of Dishon Blount. The incident took place in Kinston on September 6, 2025. Ellison was sentenced to 25–31 years in state prison.

The information provided identifies Blount as the person who died and states that Ellison’s guilty plea was to a second-degree murder charge. It does not provide further details about the events that led to Blount’s death, the circumstances of the plea, or when the sentence was imposed.

The account also does not identify the court or judge involved, name prosecutors or defense counsel, or provide information about any other charges. No details were provided about statements made in court or whether Ellison addressed the court before sentencing. Those details are not included here.

The sentence is reported as a range of 25 to 31 years in state prison. The information provided does not explain how the range was determined or provide additional terms of the sentence. It also does not describe any next steps in the case.

The known details establish the location and date of the incident, the identity of the person named in connection with the death, Ellison’s age and hometown, his guilty plea, and the prison sentence. Additional information about the case was not provided.

Story summarized from the original created by WITN Web Team on www.witn.com, see more information here.

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