On a summer day in Little Rock, Arkansas, the life of 27-year-old Keyeon Cortez Dukes was tragically cut short. On July 3, 2021, police found Dukes inside his black Dodge Ram near the 7500 block of Interstate 30, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was rushed to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
His death marked the 31st homicide in Little Rock that year.
Keyeon was a father to his 7-year-old daughter, Khalani, and 4-year-old son, Keyeon Jr., with another child on the way. His family, left reeling from the sudden violence, remembered him as a man with a big heart who lived life to the fullest. His mother, Genett Hood, described him as someone who was always quick to tell you that you were beautiful and that he loved you. He had a unique sense of style and a personality that was all his own. In the wake of his death, his family held a balloon release to honor his memory before laying him to rest.
The Little Rock Police Department launched an investigation into the shooting, gathering witness statements and security footage from surrounding businesses. Their efforts led to the identification of two suspects. On July 25, 2021, a 15-year-old was arrested and charged with capital murder. The second suspect, 31-year-old Cedric Lamont Qualls, was later apprehended in Houston, Texas.
Qualls was extradited back to Little Rock to face a capital murder warrant. In the subsequent legal proceedings, he entered a plea of no contest to a charge of first-degree murder for his role in Keyeon Dukes's death. As a result, Cedric Lamont Qualls was sentenced to 30 years in prison, bringing a measure of closure to a case that had left a family and a community searching for answers.
