Man convicted of manslaughter in Norfolk shooting also sentenced on weapons charge

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A man previously convicted of manslaughter in connection to a 2020 fatal shooting will serve five more years on a related gun charge.

Peter William Babar was sentenced on Friday after being found guilty of being a violent felon in possession of a firearm in a separate bench trial this January, according to the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

Babar, 51, had previously been convicted of the voluntary manslaughter of 33-year-old Charles Anthony Sparks back in August 2020. 29-year-old Donell Small Jr. was also convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the case.

Two others, 55-year-old Delphine Diane Simmons and 32-year-old Krystal Bowers pleaded guilty to being accessories after the fact in the killing.

“People who kill to get the last word in an argument commit a crime, and we have worked to hold Mr. Babar and Mr. Small accountable,” said Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “People who help cover up the crimes of others commit a crime themselves, and they also must answer for what they have done. My condolences go to Mr. Sparks’ family. Mr. Sparks should be here today.”

The commonwealth’s attorney’s office says a feud between Sparks’ wife and Bowers led up to the shooting. Sparks, who was unarmed at the time, was shot four times in total by Small and Babar, prosecutors say, and had his femoral artery struck. He died of catastrophic blood loss within minutes of arriving at the hospital.

Small and Babar fled on foot from the scene, and were later picked up by Bowers and Simmons. Prosecutors say Simmons then bought new cell phones for herself, Small, and Babar. She was arrested at her home later that day, with thousands of dollars in cash and a parking pass from a Virginia Beach hotel.

Police went to that hotel the next morning and detained the rest of the defendants. Small admitted to police afterward that he shot Sparks, but in self-defense. He and Babar eventually would be sentenced to 10 years each on the manslaughter charges, with four years and six months suspended for Small and one year suspended for Babar.

Bowers and Simmons eventually pleaded guilty to acting as an accessory after the fact. Bowers got all time suspended conditioned upon a year of uniform good behavior and no contact with Sparks’ family members. Simmons got 12 months in jail, with 11 months suspended under the same conditions as Bowers.