Modesti Devon Allmon was a 20-year-old Black woman from Little Rock, Arkansas, remembered by those who loved her as bold, inspiring, loyal, and caring. A graduate of North Little Rock High School, she was described as the best friend one could ask for, a beautiful person who is deeply missed. Her life was cut short in a burst of violence just before the holidays in 2023.
On the evening of December 20, 2023, a ShotSpotter alert for gunfire brought police to a residence at 3424 W. 14th St.
around 8:15 p.m. Outside the home, just a block from the Bethsda Missionary Baptist Church, officers discovered a tragic scene. Modesti and another person, 21-year-old Dejon Nelms, were on the ground with apparent gunshot wounds. Paramedics arrived and attempted life-saving measures, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Both Modesti and Dejon were pronounced dead at the scene.
Homicide detectives and the Crime Scene Search Unit immediately secured the area and began their investigation into the double homicide, which marked the 60th and 61st slayings in Little Rock that year. The Pulaski County Coroner’s office transported the bodies of both victims to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory to determine the official cause of death through an autopsy.
The investigation eventually led authorities to identify and arrest two suspects in connection with the killings. One of the men arrested, Yusuf Muhammad, went to trial for his alleged involvement. After hearing the evidence presented, a jury cleared him of all charges. The second suspect, a teenager, took a different path. He pleaded guilty to the killings of Modesti Allmon and Dejon Nelms and was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison for his role in their deaths. With this conviction, the case is considered closed.
