In June of 2017, a planned drug transaction in Knoxville, Tennessee, turned deadly, leading to the deaths of two teenagers from Michigan. Eighteen-year-old Sergio Rivera and his friend, Jaloen Morris, also 18, had traveled from out of state to purchase marijuana. The deal was set to take place in the Montgomery Village apartment complex in South Knoxville.
Upon their arrival, Rivera and Morris, along with a 16-year-old companion, met with the sellers.
An altercation broke out, and gunfire erupted, leaving all three visitors wounded inside their vehicle. When law enforcement arrived at the scene on Joe Lewis Road at Day Lily Drive, they discovered the three victims. Sergio Rivera and Jaloen Morris succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced dead. The third victim survived with non-life-threatening wounds.
The investigation quickly identified two primary suspects: 15-year-old Rico 'Little Rico' Cook and 17-year-old Deon Nolbert. Authorities alleged that Cook was the shooter. Following the incident, Nolbert was apprehended and taken to a juvenile detention center. Cook, however, remained at large for a short period before ultimately turning himself in to the police. He faced charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and aggravated robbery. Another individual, identified as Christopher 'Money,' was also implicated for his role in the crime.
Subsequent legal proceedings brought convictions for those involved. Rico Cook was sentenced to life in prison plus 17 years. Deon Nolbert pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder and received a 20-year prison sentence. Christopher 'Money' was found guilty on multiple charges, including two counts of facilitation of first-degree murder and robbery, resulting in a seven-year prison sentence.
