RICHMOND — A local resident is set to receive 21 years in state prison for killing his roommate during an argument last year, court records show.

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Paul Ballenger, 45, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter with the expectation of being sentenced on Nov. 7 to 21 years, court records show. Ballenger had been charged with murder, and went on trial last July, but jurors were unable to reach a verdict.

Police said at the time of Ballenger’s arrest last year that he shot and killed his roommate, identified in court records as James Ledbetter, during an argument on Aug. 7, 2024. The two lived at a home on the 1300 block of Lincoln Avenue, and the shooting occurred around 1:15 a.m., police said.

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