In the early hours of April 10, 2024, the life of 30-year-old Sayvon Andre Propps, a Black male from Des Moines, Iowa, was tragically cut short in a violent encounter at a local hotel. The incident unfolded at the Ramada Inn on Army Post Road, where an exchange of gunfire resulted in Propps' death. Police were called to the hotel at approximately 4:30 a.m. with a report of a shooting.
Upon their arrival, they discovered Propps deceased at the scene, while another man was found with critical injuries.
The investigation into the shooting led police to identify 32-year-old Joshua Ryan Carmody as the suspect. It was revealed that Carmody had gone to the hotel room where his former girlfriend, Danielle Looney, was with Propps. Evidence presented during the trial, including video footage from the hotel, showed Carmody kicking in the door to the hotel room at 4:25 a.m. A confrontation ensued, and just seven seconds after Carmody entered the room, Propps was seen staggering out and collapsing in the hallway. Looney testified that Carmody had been sending her angry messages about her relationship with Propps the day before the fatal altercation.
During the incident, it is believed that Propps fired his gun in self-defense as Carmody charged at him, leading to Carmody being shot 11 times. Carmody then returned fire, fatally wounding Propps. In April 2025, a Polk County jury deliberated for less than an hour before finding Joshua Ryan Carmody guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the sentencing, victim impact statements were read, including one from the mother of Propps' daughter, who expressed her heartbreak and anger, stating, "I will never forgive you...you took an amazing father from his children."
