CLEVELAND (WJW) – The man who pleaded guilty to killing a Cleveland police officer and his informant was sentenced Thursday.
He’s the final suspect to be sentenced in the 2020 murders.
In March, David McDaniel, 21, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and aggravated robbery in the deaths of 53-year-old Cleveland Police Detective James Skernivitz and 50-year-old informant Scott Dingess. They were shot and killed inside an unmarked police car near West 65th and Storer in September 2020. They were killed during an attempted robbery.
“I sincerely apologize,” McDaniels told the court. “I was a kid. I was 18, but I was a kid. Never wanted this to happen. I’m not a bad person. On that night, it wasn’t set up to kill anybody. Every night before I go to sleep, I wish all this never would’ve happened.”
The judge sentenced him to life in prison with no parole until after 50 years.
A second suspect, Kevin Robinson, already pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life with the eligibility for parole after 28 years. A 15-year-old was charged as a juvenile and three others were sentenced for obstructing justice and helping dispose of the murder weapons.
Detective Skernivitz was working undercover on a federal task force that was trying to reduce violent crime and illegal firearms at the time of the shooting. He worked for the Cleveland Division of Police for 25 years and is remembered fondly as a mentor and friend to many.
