Madison County Justice Court Judge Bruce McKinley denied bond for Dwan Wakefield, DeAllen Washington, and Byron McBride at their initial appearance today. A preliminary hearing will be held for them on June 26 at 9:00 AM. Madison County Prosecutor Pamela Hancock told Judge McKinley that the state will seek the death penalty for McBride.
The courtroom was half-filled with family members of little Kingston and the accused. Sheriff Randy Tucker took no chances on any disturbances taking place and had no less than seven bailiffs present in the courtroom. Judge McKinley opened the proceedings with a warning that he would remove anyone from the courtroom who made an outburst. District Attorney Michael Guest and Assistant District Attorney Bryan Buckley were in attendance. Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith unexpectedly appeared as well.
Dwan Wakefield, Jr. was the first defendant to appear before the judge. His eyes were downcast during the entire appearance. His voice was soft and he seemed to be overwhelmed. He was represented by Madison County public defender Greg Weber. He said he was a student at Ridgeland High School and sold cars with his father. He is 17 years-old and did not have any convictions. Ms. Hancock asked the court to deny bond for Wakefield. The court assented and denied bond. There was weeping in the audience.
The next suspect to face the judge was Byron McBride, Jr. Ms. Hancock said the state would be seeking the death penalty for McBride. He is 19 years-old. Mr. Weber represented him as well. He said he had a prior conviction for commercial burglary. McBride was stoic as he looked right at the camera and spoke with a strong voice. It took a few minutes for Judge McKinley to pin down where he lived. He apparently bounced back and forth between the homes of his mother and grandmother. He didn't know his mom's address but finally said it determined it was Somerset Apartments on County Line Road. His head lowered as the County Prosecutor said he is a danger to the community and has no stable home nor a job. The court denied him bond as well.
Last to face the music was DeAllen Washington. Attorney Warren Martin represented the suspect. He objected to the proceeding. He argued that the Madison County was an improper jurisdiction for the case and that it should be tried in Hinds County. The judge took his remarks under consideration and moved ahead with the proceeding. Washington didn't know his Social Security number. He didn't know his father's address. He said he lived on Lincolnshire with his mother but was a student at Northwest Rankin High School. He is 17 years-old. He said he had no convictions but was arrested last year for armed robbery. He is currently under indictment for the crime. He has no job and his lawyer said he can not read or write. Ms. Hancock said the state had filed a motion to revoke the bond for that charge.
Mr. Guest said he did not anticipate any additional arrests. He refused to answer any questions about the investigation but said more information would be made available after the preliminary hearing. He said there was no evidence of the mother's involvement in the crime. He said the crime was one "of opportunity." He said two defendants are facing a maximum sentence of life in prison. Ms. Hancock will be the prosecutor at the preliminary hearing. Mr. Smith said "absolutely, charges will be filed in Hinds County" when asked if he would prosecute any of the defendants.
Archie family representative Amos Archie said the family was "pleased with how things went in court."
Earlier posts
"My son didn't kill that baby!"
Kingston trio faces judge today.
License plate info is not required for Amber Alert Activation.
Kingston Frazier update: Who told what when?
Kingston was shot more than once.
Capital Murder!!!
Third person arrested in Kingston's murder.
Wakefield was Ridgeland's QB, Washington arrested.
51 comments:
Were the errr "defendants" represented by anyone?
I would seek the death penalty for all three.
The video of the McBride dad is very telling. As always, he's a devout member of the dindntdunuffin tribe...ANNNDDD he sounds like he's already wanting to sue someone.
The 17-year-olds can't be executed as per the U.S. S. Ct.
Now that there is a new Supreme Court Justice, we should revisit this can't kill them unless 18
12:21 I've only seen a video of the Wakefield dad- he was talking outside a car to a reporter. Is there a video of the McBride dad too?
They will be eligible for the death penalty by the time they be in prizin
Attn 12:24 The U S supreme court can't stop executions of child killers by inmates.
the county prosecutor does not make the decision on what penalty to seek. the district attorney does.
Were the errr "defendants" represented by anyone?
They wouldn't be at an initial appearance. It's a guilty/not-guilty plea, with a bond-setting.
Somebody in the Madison County public-defender rotation will likely catch these cases.
Madison County doesn't have a public defender "rotation", they have several salaried part time defenders that handle the vast majority of indigent defendants.
Though relatives of all three deny that THEIR relative killed the child, it doesn't matter who pulled the trigger. When you act in concert with others to commit a felony and someone is killed, with or without intent, its capital murder and each and every actor is equally guilty of the killing.
Why are some of you so anxious to execute all 3? Do we even know the evidence or involvement of the other 2 in the killing? I need to know a lot more before I say all 3 deserve execution.
"Why are some of you so anxious to execute all 3? Do we even know the evidence or involvement of the other 2 in the killing? I need to know a lot more before I say all 3 deserve execution. "
Doesn't matter. See 1:44's succinct explanation of the "felony murder rule", probably dating back to the Magna Carta. It doesn't matter which thug specifically did what, they're going down as a group.
He has no job and his lawyer said he can not read or write.
Here comes Vulture Bardwell now.
Dwan should prove to be really popular in the showers. Fresh meat has arrived
Did Smith file charges in Hinds? He said definitively that they were going to be filed "today", which was yesterday.
Lives on Lincolnshire (Ridgeland). Attends NW Rankin. Can't read or write.
Realize this is just a little part of what all doesn't add up in this case, but does raise a few questions on its on. Particularly the can't read or write, but in high school.
No. However, he could've indicted them and we wouldn't know it if the capias has not been returned.
Five of Mississippi's former Death Row inmates (arrested at 17) over the last thirty years now have life sentences since the 2005 Supreme Court ruling which established a minimum age of 18 for the death penalty. Tell me again how the other two can be charged with the death penalty again?
Smith needs to leave the case alone for the sake of all law-abiding Mississippians. Don't need his office ruining it.
The fixation you people have with prison rape is disturbing both in terms of your sadism and your lack of imagination, yet it's utterly predictable every time Kingfish posts something about someone going to prison. I suspect some of y'all post and/or share these sentiments and then hustle off to church of some kind on Sundays and maybe even Wednesdays, too. Dichotomy much?
I agree with 11:10. Rape is never okay, in prison or anywhere. That "joke" is not funny.
The fixation you people have with prison rape is disturbing both in terms of your sadism and your lack of imagination ...
Enlighten us Capt Dichotomy.
11:24,
Don't screw up and go to jail then.
Real talk.
Some in the media have taken to calling these three teens The Kingston Trio. I can't imagine that the members of the still touring original Kingston Trio will take kindly to this. The media seem to have no shame.
It's just this simple 11:10. Many of us in this country want retribution and vengeance when killings like this occur. If the justice system, as re-defined by judges like Federal Judge Keady (Greenville in the 70s) will not accommodate our lust for justice.....the best we can do is hope the inmates will administer it to satisfy our craving. I'm being honest. Won't you join me asshole?
The system will require these sissy-punks to be coddled and comfortably housed for thirty to sixty years. We can hold out hope that Bubba and Luther will intervene and administer what we know to be justice.
17 years old but can't read or write ? I know it's an irrelevant or minor issue right now as the murder action is much more important. But NWR has some explaining to do about how a kid can make it to 11th or 12th grade without being able to read or write.
A 17-year-old "student" at Northwest Rankin who has no job and can neither read nor write.
I'll bet he can rap, though.
I may be wrong, but the "can't read or write" claim could be part of the defense's strategy, in some way setting up for trial. Interesting how the only defendant with a paid attorney "can't read or write" - and the attorney made that statement for Washington. Why even bring that up?
He may not be able to read or write well, but I have a hard time believing that someone who spent 13+/- years in school is completely illiterate.
I completely believe he cant read. There are numerous people who graduate high school in MS like this.
Its certainly not beyond belief that one of the 'famous' Martin attorneys could have strettttttccccccchhhhhhhed the truth, just a little bit, in his zealous attempt to defend his client by moving the trial to his more friendly confines on Pascagoula Street. I know, just know, that an attorney wouldn't violate such a principle required of an attorney not to lie to the court, but you know, it was just a little bitty fib and it was by a Martin - they get special dispensation
Illiterate NWR kid was actually a transfer from Ridgeland HS a few weeks ago.
the car was stolen in Hinds County, the victim was kidnapped in Hinds County, and who knows the exact location the victim was shot.
this isn't the last time you will hear venue debated.
google "Mad Dog Pruett". Pruett robbed a Jackson bank and took a bank employee hostage and fled into Alabama where he killed her. He was caught and returned to Mississippi, specifically to Hinds County where the court took jurisdiction of the robbery, kidnapping AND the murder. venue is proper where the initial crime[s] are committed, along with all felonies subsequent regardless where the subsequent felonies are committed.
Wonder if the illiterate kid can post on Social Media? If so, that debunks the theory he can't read or write. He can type so he can read.
Ha - To have a Facebook/twitter account, not to mention - just texting with an iPhone...requires some degree of literacy. Especially when the iPhone wants to autocorrect every slang word you try to type, and you have to correct the autocorrect from "True" to "Tru" and "Brush" to "Bruh".
All the Martins are a bad bunch but somehow above the law.
Since he shows residence in Ridgeland, how did he transfer to NWR? I understand that once he bombed out and was no longer a star qb, Ridgeland probably didnt care. But with all the bitching among our elite education leaders, Nancy et.al., against charter schools and that kids are supposed to be stuck in the school of their zip code (neighborhood), guess that doesn't matter when its just one or two thugs moving across county lines.
Like 2:05, my very first thought when I read that he supposedly can't read or write is that the defense is setting the stage to say he is mentally retarded or has a low IQ and can't stand trial or some such BS. Excellent point above, though, about his presence on social media. Maybe he is just occasionally illiterate!
Call me crazy, but I think Wakefield got in over his head, more so than the other two. I'm not advocating going soft on him - he deserves what he gets - but as described above, his are not the actions of a soulless thug killer. The other two are trying to be all hard and probably don't give a hoot in hell that a child is dead by their hand.
Wakefield had a chance at a better life through his athletics, unlike the other two who were in a footrace to see which one made it to Parchman first. Maybe it's just the fact that he pissed away his life that has Wakefield so down, but I tend to think that he was hanging with some tougher characters and got himself into one hell of a mess.
He's about to find out that life ain't a damned rap video.
But why was Wakefield thrown off the Ridgeland HS football team?
Just saw Smith saying he may pursue auto theft and kidnapping charges. He's going to screw the whole thing up and create double jeopardy problems. Why can't he just go away and leave us alone?
@ 5:11 Heard it was for disciplinary issues and possibly b/c he was openly holding himself out as a GD on social media.
This is clearly gang initiation style. If this gets fucked up by Smith and Kidd, Oh Jesus help us.
Why aren't people marching in the street, protesting and flipping over cars over this unjust murder?
Oh yeah, I just remembered why...
Why is that, 8:48? There's been no shortage of keyboard kowboys espousing that "whataboutism" on various social media platforms and comment sections since this murder occurred. Couldn't shoehorn a "Jesse Jackson" or "Al Sharpton" in your concern trolling?
So, why weren't the kids in the car with Dedmon all charged with murder?
They had clear knowledge beforehand that a crime of assault, at least, would likely happen.
They had a better chance of stopping the crime as no guns were involved. They could have physically intervened.
I'm good with all of these young men being held responsible. I'm not good that the Dedmon crew were not.
If one of Kingston's murderers was a girl, would that do it for y'all? Or, if they made better grades and played sports?
I'd like a little more consistency and less hypocrisy when it comes to justice. It's that blind/scale thing.
@ 8:26 Most of the kids involved with the Dedmon case were charged, including kids not in the vehicle and not at the scene, and sentenced. Federally, Dedmon got 50 years, Rice got 18.5 years and Butler got 7 years, and that was just for one count of conspiracy and a count of a hate crime each. Three kids who were not even with Dedmon on that night were charged with and pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime. All total, 10 kids pleaded guilty to federal charges. Dedmon also got two life sentences in the state court prosecution.
Frankly, your comment compares apples to oranges. Widely different facts and elements of the crimes. And those Dedmon kids got the book thrown at them. I can only hope that the kids responsible for Kingston's murder are prosecuted with that much vigor.
Take it up with the Black D.A. since he is the one who prosecuted the case and you think he is an Uncle Tom.
By accident, I tuned in to the program that follows Gallo this morning. I guess it was JT's substitute...some girl who sounded like a blonde 18 year old. She went on for an hour admonishing us to be careful what we read, hear and post on social media....because people's lives are at stake here and their feelings are important and their families' feelings and reputations are at stake. She almost brought me to tears but then I passed a dead possum in the road that brought me back to reality.
Is it just me, or do anyone else think a lot more is going to come to light regarding this night. Something just doesn't add up to me.
Washington went to NWR for a few months. He "transferred" from Ridgeland where he had failed all of his classes. If his teachers had known about his armed robbery charge they would have raised hell when he threatened two teachers, one male and one female, and was allowed to stay at the school.
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