VIRGINIA BEACH — A 39-year-old Norfolk man could face 55 years in prison for what prosecutors tagged as the 2016 “dance floor murder.”
Following a two-day trial, a jury found Tobias Kinte Loftin guilty of first-degree murder, use of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
The jury recommended he serve 55 years in prison, according to Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney Colin Stolle.
Circuit Court Judge James C. Lewis, who presided over the trial, will sentence Loftin on Oct. 3.
Loftin has prior convictions for attempted robbery, malicious wounding, and use of a firearm.
The case
In the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 2016, Loftin and the victim, Demetrius Darnell McCloud, were on the dance floor at Club Embassy on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
After exchanging brief words with each other, the victim turned around and Loftin shot him in the head from behind. McCloud died at the scene, prosecutors said.
Within 12 hours of the crime, anonymous callers began offering the street name of “Boss Hog” as the potential suspect.
Detectives were able to determine that “Boss Hog” was Loftin “due to previous cases concerning him,” prosecutor said.
Virginia Beach Police detectives were able to access security camera footage from Club Embassy.
“Loftin was captured on video committing the homicide and fleeing from the scene through a rear doorway,” Colle said in a news release. “During the trial, two witnesses who were present at the scene identified Loftin as the shooter.”
