Chattanooga Double Homicide Case Sent to Grand Jury
Two Men Accused in the Shooting Incident
In the city of Chattanooga, two men, Jamarie Jones, 20, and Jonathan Sawyer, 19, have had their charges of first-degree murder bound over to a Hamilton County grand jury on Tuesday. The charges stem from an incident where brothers, De’Aaron and De’Jyron Triplett, 19 and 21 respectively, were shot at a local apartment complex on May 1. Their cause of death was confirmed to be the gunshot wounds they sustained, according to the Chattanooga police.
Evidence Presented In Court
During the court hearing, a surveillance video from the Bayberry Apartments, located on the 1100 block of Arlington Avenue, was presented. In it, the Triplett brothers could be seen entering the complex, being followed by several people. Shortly thereafter, De’Jyron Triplett was seen being chased downstairs allegedly by Jones and Sawyer according to investigator Joel Gunn. De’Jyron was shot in the stomach among other places.
Jones allegedly continued to shoot at De’Jyron Triplett even after he fell to the ground. Sawyer is accused of having also fired his weapon at this time. A third individual was also injured during this incident but was not a witness at the hearing.
Alleged Getaway and Motives
Following the shooting, Jones, Sawyer, and Darrisha Danforth, a 32-year-old woman, are accused of fleeing the scene along with an unidentified person wearing a yellow hoodie. According to authorities, Danforth drove the alleged getaway car and is currently facing a charge of accessory after the fact.
There are several rumors that the incident was a botched robbery. Investigators found both marijuana and money at the scene, an indication of possible motive according to Gunn. However, no firearms allegedly used in the shooting have been recovered by the authorities yet.
What The Accused Say
In an interview with the police, Jones admitted to being present at the scene but denied shooting anyone. He said that he fled the scene after hearing gunshots. His shoe was later found at the scene. Sawyer, on the other hand, allegedly admitted to shooting one of the brothers. He claimed he acted in self-defense, a claim for which there is currently no supporting evidence.
Their Legal History
Jones has a past criminal history, having pleaded guilty to an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge and a criminal attempt of theft of property charge in April. His sentence was then suspended. Sawyer, however, has no previous criminal record.
