Tony Jamarr Russell, a 30-year-old African American male, was tragically killed on June 24, 2016, in Charlotte, North Carolina. On that fateful day, Tony and a woman were walking along Tuckaseegee Road when a car pulled up alongside them. Two occupants, Jordan Ardrey and Zhaymalik Phillips, began firing at them. Both Tony and the woman were struck by the gunfire.
Unfortunately, Tony's wound was fatal, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene, while the woman survived.
The investigation into Tony's death was extensive, with investigators spending months analyzing evidence and conducting interviews to solve the crime. In 2017, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police identified Ardrey and Phillips as the shooters and Xavier Underwood as the driver of the vehicle involved in the drive-by shooting. The case saw significant developments in 2021 when the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Homicide Team brought the suspects to trial.
In July 2021, Zhaymalik Phillips was tried for Tony's death. The jury found him guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, but they were unable to reach unanimous verdicts on other charges related to the homicide. Ultimately, Phillips pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 72-99 months in prison. In August 2021, Jordan Ardrey also pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received a sentence of 59-83 months in prison.
Xavier Underwood, the driver of the vehicle, was tried in September 2021 for accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. The jury found him guilty as charged, and he was sentenced to 59-83 months in prison. The trials and convictions of Ardrey, Phillips, and Underwood brought some measure of justice for Tony Jamarr Russell's family and friends, who had been seeking answers and accountability for his untimely death.
