In the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, a young life was abruptly cut short on the evening of Saturday, November 18, 2023. Marcus Tyshawn Marbley, a 17-year-old male, found himself in a tragic situation that would end in his untimely death. That evening, at approximately 7:29 p.m., patrol officers from the Northwest Division were dispatched to an office building at 7101 West 12th Street following a report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they made a grim discovery on the fourth floor.
Marcus was found deceased, having sustained an apparent gunshot wound. The area was immediately secured as a crime scene, and homicide detectives were called in to begin their investigation into the tragic event that had unfolded.
As detectives began to piece together the events of that night, they learned that two other individuals had been transported to local hospitals by private vehicles with injuries related to the incident. They were identified as a juvenile, Juwan Mayes, and Edward Anderson. The Crime Scene Search Unit worked alongside the homicide detectives, canvassing the area for any potential witnesses and searching for video surveillance that might shed light on what had transpired. The Pulaski County Coroner's office later arrived and transported Marcus's body to the State Crime Lab for an autopsy to officially determine the cause of death as the investigation into his homicide continued.
In the months that followed, the investigation led to breakthroughs and arrests in the case. On February 16, 2024, Dillain Cheeter was taken into custody in connection with the death of Marcus. Cheeter was charged with manslaughter, aggravated robbery, and first-degree battery. The investigation did not stop there, and a few months later, on June 14, 2024, a second suspect was apprehended. Jaylen Willis, 19, also from Little Rock, was arrested and faced charges of manslaughter, two counts of aggravated robbery, and two counts of first-degree battery for his alleged involvement in the incident that resulted in the death of Marcus Tyshawn Marbley and the injury of two others.
