In the winter of 2016, the life of 25-year-old Kendre Demond Smith was tragically cut short in a double shooting in northeast Oklahoma City. On the evening of February 3rd, Smith and a companion, 26-year-old Chameeka Harris, were gunned down. The incident, which authorities believed stemmed from a drug deal, left both Smith and Harris with fatal injuries.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to a suspect, Jamar Mordecai Simms.
In 2018, Simms was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Smith and Harris and was subsequently sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. Prosecutors had argued that the killings occurred while Simms was involved in a drug transaction, which formed the basis for the felony murder charges.
However, the legal saga was far from over. In October 2021, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturned Simms' conviction. The appellate court found that the evidence presented at trial suggested Simms was a buyer, not a distributor, of drugs. This distinction was crucial, as it meant the original basis for the felony murder conviction was insufficient. The court remanded the case for a new trial, allowing for the possibility of trying Simms on an alternative theory of robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Following the appellate court's decision, the Oklahoma County District Attorney's office prepared to retry the case against Simms. Ultimately, instead of proceeding with a new trial, Jamar Simms pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter. This plea brought a resolution to the protracted legal proceedings that followed the violent deaths of Kendre Smith and Chameeka Harris.
