In the autumn of 2015, a quiet residential street in Clarksville, Tennessee, became the scene of a heart-wrenching tragedy that claimed the life of two-year-old Joseph Eli Bankston. On the evening of October 4th, the young male child was fatally shot inside his home on Princeton Drive. Another individual, 22-year-old Brandon Jimenez, a Fort Campbell soldier, was also shot and critically injured in the attack.
The initial suspect was described as a Black male who fled the scene in a maroon Chevrolet Impala.
The investigation into the toddler's death soon uncovered a sinister plot. Suspicion fell upon the child's stepfather, David Wi, also a Fort Campbell soldier. Phone records revealed that Wi had been in contact with another soldier, Zackery Alexander, immediately before and after the shooting. This led to the arrest of both men. Investigators determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence but a calculated murder-for-hire scheme orchestrated by Wi.
The motive behind this devastating crime was rooted in a contentious custody battle between David Wi and Joseph's mother, Alicia Bankston Wi. It was discovered that Wi was the beneficiary of life insurance policies taken out on his wife, his own daughter, and young Joseph. The prosecution asserted that Wi hired Alexander to eliminate not only Joseph but also Brandon Jimenez, Alicia Bankston Wi, and his own daughter, Lilly Wi.
During the investigation, a search of Zackery Alexander's vehicle produced a. 40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun that matched the shell casings found at the crime scene. Faced with the evidence against them, both men were charged with premeditated murder. David Wi was ultimately sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years for his role in conceiving the plot. In June of 2018, Zackery Alexander pleaded guilty to the premeditated murder of Joseph Bankston and received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 66 years.
