In the late evening of April 11, 2017, the life of Antonio Quinn, a 36-year-old Black man from Des Moines, Iowa, was tragically cut short. Responding to a report of shots fired in the 4000 block of Fagen Drive, police discovered Quinn in the driver's seat of his vehicle, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his chest, arm, and neck. Despite the efforts of first responders, he succumbed to his injuries.
Another individual in the car, Quinn's cousin Michael James Jr., was also shot and sustained an arm wound but survived.
The investigation into the homicide revealed the shooting occurred during a planned drug transaction that was actually a setup for a robbery. Authorities identified two individuals, Larry Deandre Ratliff Jr. and Molly Peter, as the suspects. According to court records, Peter later admitted to police that she and Ratliff had arranged to meet Quinn under the pretense of a drug deal with no intention of exchanging money. Peter drove Ratliff to the parking lot on Fagen Drive for the encounter.
During the meeting, Ratliff, armed with an AK-47 type semiautomatic rifle, approached Quinn's vehicle. An altercation ensued, and Ratliff fired multiple shots, striking both Quinn and James. Following the shooting, Ratliff and Peter fled the scene. Both were later apprehended and charged with first-degree murder and other offenses.
Larry Ratliff Jr. was subsequently convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of Antonio Quinn. He was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Michael James Jr. In January 2018, Ratliff was sentenced to life in prison. Molly Peter, who drove Ratliff to the scene, also faced charges of first-degree murder, robbery, and attempted murder.
