LYNCHBURG, Va. – A man who admitted to strangling a Lynchburg teen girl to death in May 1988 died in a car crash last week, according to Virginia State Police.
As we’ve reported previously, on April 5, 1989, Gregory Joyner, who was 17 years old at the time, was convicted of the first-degree murder and attempted rape of 15-year-old Sarah Jamison. He was sentenced to life plus 10 years, the maximum sentence for his charges; however, in November 2020, he was granted parole.
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On Thursday, May 2, 2024, State troopers were called to the scene of a crash involving a Chevrolet Silverado and a tractor-trailer on northbound Interstate 295. We’re told the Silverado, which was driven by 52-year-old Joyner, moved from the center lane to the right lane, hitting the front of the 2022 Freightliner. Both vehicles then lost control and the tractor-trailer pushed the Silverado off the road into a sign and then multiple trees, authorities said.
State troopers said Joyner was pronounced dead at the scene.
We reached out to Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney, Bethany Harrison for comment on Joyner’s death, and she provided 10 News with the following statement: “I pray that with Joyner’s passing that the Jamison family can have some sense of peace. It is likely partially unsatisfactory given that many feel Joyner’s early release with no explanation as to why was an injustice. I am grateful to the reforms made to the composition of the VA Parole Board by Gov. Youngkin and reforms in the laws governing disclosure of release and accountability for parole board votes put forth by republican members of the VA General Assembly.”