Demarco Lee, a 24-year-old African American male, was tragically shot to death on the front porch of his home in Springfield, Illinois, on February 2, 2015. The Sangamon County coroner's office confirmed that Lee died from multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities arrived at the scene around 11:15 p.m. after receiving reports of gunshots. Lee was pronounced dead shortly before 2:30 a.m. on February 3. The incident was not considered a random act, and police indicated that Lee's shooting was connected to a marijuana trafficking conspiracy.
Cameron Ingram, a 24-year-old male from Springfield, was indicted on charges of first-degree murder for Lee's death. Ingram was also charged with being involved in a marijuana trafficking conspiracy with Lee and others. They were accused of arranging for a shipment of marijuana from California to Springfield. Ingram was taken into custody on February 9 and charged with manufacture or delivery of marijuana, calculated criminal marijuana conspiracy, and unlawful marijuana trafficking. He pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment, and the Sangamon County public defender's office was appointed to represent him. Ingram was held on a $2 million bond.
Lee, known by his stage name "Tatted Lee," was an active performer in the local hip-hop scene and a member of the group AMN, which won the Group of the Year award at the Torch Tuesday Awards. His death cast a shadow over the event, but the community came together to raise funds for his family. The Torch Tuesday founder, Howard "Torch" Tomas, organized a fundraiser that raised close to $1,000 to support Lee's family.
The investigation into Lee's death revealed that he was involved in a marijuana trafficking conspiracy with Ingram and others. Authorities did not provide a motive for the murder, but the connection to the drug trafficking operation suggested that it was not a random act of violence. The grand jury that indicted Ingram also indicted two other men, Larry Broomfield and Lonelle Bates, on charges of first-degree murder and armed robbery in a separate case. Broomfield and Bates were accused of the murder of Louis Tuttle, another victim of gun violence in Springfield.
