MILWAUKEE — A teenager who admitted taking 7-year-old Jamal White during an armed abduction that triggered an Amber Alert last summer was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison.
Barry Coleman, now 15, was sentenced in Milwaukee County Circuit Court to 10 years of initial confinement followed by seven years of extended supervision. He will receive credit for 451 days already spent in custody.
Coleman was 14 when Jamal was abducted near 61st and Hustis streets on July 11, 2025. The disappearance triggered an Amber Alert and a large search before Jamal was found safe the following day.
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During Friday's sentencing, Coleman apologized directly for taking Jamal.
“I took him away as he was yelling for me not to take him away from his family,” Coleman told the court. “I knew it was wrong then, and I know it was wrong now.”
Coleman said he was sorry for frightening Jamal and his family and took responsibility for his actions.
“I am the only person responsible for my action,” Coleman said.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Borowski repeatedly described the underlying crime as extraordinarily serious, calling Coleman's conduct “aggravated” and “heinous.” But Borowski also said Coleman's age played a significant role in determining his punishment.
“The only reason, Mr. Coleman, we’re discussing the numbers we’re discussing is because of your age,” Borowski said, adding that Coleman's conduct alone could have warranted a substantially longer period of initial confinement.
According to the criminal complaint, surveillance video showed Coleman armed with a handgun as he chased Jamal behind a home and carried him back to a waiting Jeep. Prosecutors said the group initially planned to rob Jamal's mother before the plan changed and Jamal was taken.
Court documents say Jamal was held overnight while calls were made demanding money for his return. He was recovered the following day and was not physically harmed.
Coleman's case initially began in juvenile court. A juvenile delinquency petition filed in July 2025 accused him of kidnapping, hostage-taking and weapons offenses.
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The case later moved into adult court. Coleman ultimately pleaded guilty in July to robbery with use of force and possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent. The kidnapping and under-18 weapons counts were dismissed and read in for sentencing, according to the court records.
Prosecutors on Friday asked for a prison sentence but left the length up to the judge.
Coleman's defense requested a 10-year sentence consisting of five years of initial confinement and five years of extended supervision. His attorney argued that Coleman had experienced significant trauma at a young age and had made substantial progress while receiving treatment in custody.
The defense told the court that Coleman witnessed the shooting death of a person he viewed as a father figure when he was 12. Two psychologists who evaluated Coleman during the juvenile proceedings diagnosed him with trauma-related conditions, according to his attorney.
Defense attorney Katherine Holloway also told the court Coleman had participated in individual therapy and restorative justice programming while at a juvenile treatment center and had improved academically and behaviorally.
Coleman told the court he plans to continue treatment, earn his high school diploma, and eventually attend college and find steady employment.
Borowski acknowledged those developments, saying Coleman had accepted responsibility, appeared remorseful and had potential. But the judge said the seriousness of what happened required a significant prison sentence.
On the robbery conviction, Borowski imposed eight years of initial confinement followed by four years of extended supervision. On the firearm conviction, he imposed another two years in prison followed by three years of extended supervision. The sentences will run consecutively, bringing the total to 10 years of initial confinement and seven years of extended supervision.
Borowski also ordered Coleman to have no contact with Jamal and his family or with the two other defendants charged in connection with the case.
No victim impact statement was submitted for Friday's hearing, and prosecutors told the judge no one was expected to appear on Jamal's behalf.
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The cases against Corey Williams and Fabian Johnson remain pending. Johnson has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping as a party to a crime and is scheduled for trial in December. Williams has pleaded not guilty to charges that include kidnapping with intent to transfer property and taking hostages. His next court hearing is also scheduled for December.
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