James Shekie, a 33-year-old Black / African American male, was found deceased in his Lincoln, Nebraska home on March 1, 2021. The discovery was made by Lincoln Police Department officers who were responding to a call to check on an open door at the residence. Inside, they found Shekie with a gunshot wound. An autopsy later confirmed that he died from this injury.
The investigation into his death quickly moved forward, and on March 4, 2021, authorities made two arrests in connection with
the homicide. A 17-year-old female, Anna G. Feilen, and a 31-year-old male, Marques L. Moten, were taken into custody and charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. Investigators also identified a third individual, 25-year-old Deontae C. Rush, as a suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest on a charge of first-degree murder.
Further investigation revealed that Rush, Feilen, and Moten had driven to Shekie's home with the intention of stealing marijuana. Feilen had a previous relationship with Shekie. According to prosecutors, Rush entered the home armed with a gun to carry out the robbery. During the attempted robbery, Rush fired the shot that killed Shekie. Feilen and Moten, who were outside the residence, reportedly heard three gunshots and then fled the scene, leaving Rush behind. After a search, Rush was located and arrested in Chicago, Illinois.
Deontae Rush was charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony. During his trial, his defense argued that he was not in Lincoln at the time of the murder and claimed that Moten was the killer. However, a Lancaster County jury found Deontae Rush guilty of first-degree murder.
