In the summer of 2016, a life was tragically cut short on a street in Buffalo, New York. Jadero Kelly, a 26-year-old male, was fatally shot in the early afternoon of August 5th. The incident occurred in the vicinity of 128 French Street, leaving a community in shock and a family to mourn an untimely loss. The Buffalo Police Department immediately launched an investigation into the homicide, seeking to bring justice for Kelly.
The investigation led to the identification of a suspect,
33-year-old Daren Alexis, also a resident of Buffalo. In January 2017, Alexis was indicted by a grand jury on charges of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Following the indictment, he was arraigned in State Supreme Court where he entered a plea of not guilty. Alexis was subsequently held without bail as he awaited trial for the shooting death of Jadero Kelly. He faced the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence, with a maximum of 25 years to life if convicted on all charges.
As the trial was set to begin in June 2017, with jury selection underway, Daren Alexis chose to accept a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter in the first degree. This plea admitted his role in the death of Jadero Kelly, avoiding a trial on the more severe murder charge. In July 2017, a State Supreme Court Justice handed down the sentence. Daren Alexis was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the killing. In addition to his prison term, he was also ordered to serve five years of post-release supervision, ensuring continued monitoring after his eventual release from incarceration.
