‘A life sentence is not symbolic—it’s essential’: Virginia man sentenced for heinous abuse of his own mother

Content warning: This article describes sexual abuse and incest. Please take care while reading.

In a case that has left the Norfolk, Virginia, community reeling, Melvin O’Neal III, 32, was sentenced to life in prison plus 33 years for a horrifying sequence of crimes committed on a single day in January 2023.

O’Neal’s offenses included the brutal sexual assault of his mother and a violent carjacking committed less than an hour later. The court documents, made public by the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, lay out a deeply disturbing chain of events that culminated in one of the harshest sentences handed down in recent memory.

O’Neal’s mother’s quick thinking may have saved her life

The attack occurred on the morning of January 7, 2023. O’Neal visited his mother’s Wake Circle apartment under the pretense of using the shower. But after luring her into the bathroom, he struck her repeatedly, dragged her into her bedroom, and then forcibly removed her clothes before sexually assaulting her.

His mother’s quick thinking—telling him she’d get him a cigarette—allowed her to escape and seek help. Forensic evidence later confirmed the assault, and DNA testing matched O’Neal to samples recovered during a sexual assault examination conducted at the hospital later that day.

O’Neal’s attempted carjacking

Shockingly, O’Neal didn’t flee or attempt to hide. Instead, just 45 minutes after the assault, he attempted to carjack a neighbor around the corner from the crime scene. A man was detailing his car on Norview Avenue when O’Neal jumped into the driver’s seat and pretended to have a weapon.

A struggle ensued, with O’Neal reversing the car into the man’s residence. The altercation ended only when police arrived and identified him as the same suspect just reported for the sexual assault.

O’Neal’s arrest and convictions

O’Neal was arrested at the scene and initially charged with malicious wounding, carjacking, and two counts of sexual assault. He initially pleaded not guilty and was found mentally incompetent to stand trial due to a history of mental illness, substance abuse, and traumatic brain injury.

After treatment, he was deemed competent and opted for separate jury trials. A jury convicted him of carjacking and unlawful wounding in October 2024. Then, on what was to be the first day of his sexual assault trial in March 2025, O’Neal changed course and pleaded guilty to malicious wounding and one count of sodomy. A second sodomy charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.

“His actions were inexcusable and deeply damaging”

Judge Tasha D. Scott handed down the maximum sentence, ordering O’Neal to life for the sexual assault, 10 years for the malicious wounding of his mother, 20 years for carjacking, and an additional three years for unlawful wounding. This combined sentence totals life in prison plus 33 years.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi acknowledged the sentence cannot undo the suffering endured by the victims but emphasized that it was a necessary step toward justice and public safety. “Mr. O’Neal’s crimes were the culmination of a lifetime of trauma and untreated illness,” Fatehi said. “But his actions were inexcusable and deeply damaging. A life sentence is not symbolic—it’s essential.”

If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673