In the early morning hours of June 10, 2017, a young man's life was cut short in Salisbury, Maryland. Jaquonta S. Walton, a 20-year-old male, was fatally shot in the torso while leaving a party with a friend at the VFW on West Main Street. The incident unfolded around 1:50 a.m. when an unknown assailant approached Walton in the parking lot, fired at least one shot, and then fled the scene. Walton was rushed to Peninsula Regional Medical Center, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit was called in to lead the investigation into his death.
The investigation into Walton's murder spanned nearly a year before two suspects were identified and apprehended. In April 2018, Maryland State Police arrested 38-year-old Lee Richard Braboy and 33-year-old Dionte Dutton, both from Salisbury. The investigation revealed that the shooting stemmed from a minor confrontation between Dutton and Walton inside the VFW earlier that evening. Following the altercation, Dutton summoned Braboy to the location with a firearm. The two men then waited for Walton in a vehicle.
Subsequent legal proceedings brought the full details of the crime to light. It was determined that Dutton and Braboy stalked Walton as he left the VFW. Dutton drove a vehicle behind a nearby building where Braboy exited. Dutton then drove away, and a short time later, Braboy emerged, walked directly up to Walton, and shot him in the chest before fleeing on foot. In March 2019, a jury found Lee Richard Braboy guilty of first-degree murder and other related offenses. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Dionte Dutton also faced justice for his role in the murder. He was initially convicted in 2019, but the verdict was later appealed, granting him a new trial. In May 2023, a Wicomico County jury once again convicted Dutton on multiple charges, including second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and firearm use in a violent crime. In August 2023, he was sentenced to 83 years of incarceration for his involvement in the death of Jaquonta Walton.
