On a summer day in the Bronx, 32-year-old Marvin Harris was shot and killed. The incident, which occurred on June 11, 2016, took place at the corner of East 175th Street and Monroe Avenue. Harris was shot 13 times. The motive for the killing was an insult Harris made towards James Felton, challenging his status within a local drug territory. This fatal encounter was part of a larger criminal enterprise centered around 240 East 175th Street.
The investigation into Harris's death led to
the identification and arrest of James Felton, a 50-year-old man from the Bronx. Evidence presented during the trial included video footage of the murder. Felton's criminal activities were not limited to this single act of violence. Six months after killing Harris, Felton murdered another man, Jose Morales, just a block away from the first crime scene. He also shot and wounded a rival drug dealer, Edwin Romero. These acts were part of his efforts to maintain control over the drug trade in the community.
Following a one-week trial, a jury found James Felton guilty on twelve counts, including the murders of Marvin Harris and Jose Morales. He was also convicted of conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, along with related firearms offenses. Subsequently, Felton was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 75 years. The prosecution highlighted Felton's role as a 'brutal, unrepentant killer' who executed two men in cold blood to protect his drug enterprise.
