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An Oxon Hill man has been sentenced to 30 years in jail for killing his pregnant girlfriend, whom he ran over with a car and left to die on the Forestville Military Academy's campus in May 2009.

Bernard Bellamy Jr., 21, faced a first-degree murder charge for the slaying of Valicia Andrea Demery, 19, of District Heights. He pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser charge of second-degree murder, as part of a plea agreement.

Bellamy was sentenced the same day in Prince George's County Circuit Court by Judge Sean D. Wallace, said Ramon V. Korionoff, spokesman for the Prince George's County state's attorney's office.

Police said Bellamy, who was a student at West Virginia State University at the time, and Demery argued whether Demery should have an abortion. Bellamy sent Demery, who was four months pregnant, threatening text messages the night before her death, according to charging documents from Prince George's County District Court.

According to the documents, Demery texted Bellamy, "I really hope u cum to ur senses soon cuz im not goin do this by myself cuz I didnt make this baby by myself."

Bellamy replied by text, "I hope u cum to urs b4 its 2 late," to which Demery texted, "B4 whats too late??" Bellamy responded by text, "U will c."

A jogger found Demery's body around 6:30 a.m. May 10, 2009, on the track at the Forestville school where they had both graduated. She had been run over and dragged underneath a car, charging documents state.

Police said a security camera recorded Bellamy's 1999 Mercury Tracer coming onto the school's property around 3:50 a.m. May 10 and leaving approximately 20 minutes later.

At the time Bellamy was charged, staff at Forestville Military Academy described both former students as hard workers who were respected by their teachers and classmates.

Bellamy's public defender, Robert McGowan, could not be reached for comment.

"This plea allows the healing to begin for family, friends and the community. In this tragic case, no one wins. A young man with a promising future will have many years behind bars to think about his bad decisions," Korionoff said in a statement.

anoble@gazette.net