In the early morning hours of September 14, 2018, the life of 23-year-old Tasmere Kenard was tragically cut short on the streets of Rochester, New York. Kenard was near the intersection of Lyell Avenue and Whitney Street when he was shot. Responding to a call of shots fired, Rochester police discovered Kenard with a life-threatening gunshot wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he succumbed to them shortly after his arrival.
At the time of his death, Kenard was eagerly anticipating the birth of his first child.
The investigation into Kenard's death revealed that he was the victim of a robbery that had escalated to a fatal shooting. The Rochester Police Department's Major Crimes Unit led the investigation. A critical element in their work was surveillance footage from businesses located near the scene of the crime on Lyell Avenue, which helped investigators piece together the events that led to the shooting.
The evidence gathered by law enforcement ultimately led to the arrests of two men in connection with Tasmere Kenard's murder. The suspects were identified as 39-year-old Tremaine Coley and 39-year-old Delvern Duran. Coley was identified as the individual who shot Kenard before robbing him. Following legal proceedings, Tremaine Coley was convicted of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree robbery, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. His co-defendant, Delvern Duran, was convicted of first-degree robbery for his role in the incident. Both men faced the possibility of significant time in state prison, with potential sentences of up to 25 years.
