Kavon Mitchell

On the early evening of September 3, 2020, Kavon Mitchell, a 20-year-old Black man, was shot and killed outside a residence in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Police responded to reports of a shooting at 25 Needles Drive at approximately 5 p.m. and found Mitchell in front of the home with gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Jefferson Regional Medical Center but succumbed to his injuries. His death was the city's 21st homicide of the year and one of three to occur on that day alone.

The investigation revealed that Mitchell’s shooting was connected to another that had taken place less than 30 minutes earlier on South Elm Street, where 17-year-old Emonya Moten was killed and another man was wounded. According to authorities, the incident was believed to be gang-related. Security video from a residence on Needles Drive showed a Chevrolet Malibu followed by a Chevrolet Impala pull up to where Mitchell was sitting on his front porch. The Impala rammed the Malibu, and then occupants of both vehicles began shooting at Mitchell. He attempted to run away from the gunfire but collapsed in the yard as both cars sped from the scene.

The Pine Bluff Police Department’s investigation led to the arrests of two suspects. On September 6, 2020, police took 23-year-old Hekeryin Cain into custody and charged him with capital murder in connection with Mitchell's death. A second suspect, 33-year-old Bryant L. Smith, was apprehended by U.S. Marshals and local police in Parsons, Kansas, on September 26, 2020, after authorities received a tip about his location.

Smith was extradited to Jefferson County, where he faced two counts of capital murder for the deaths of Kavon Mitchell and Emonya Moten. He was also charged with attempted capital murder for the shooting of Cedric LaPoole, who was injured in the South Elm Street attack, along with numerous other felonies including terroristic act and unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle.

In August 2023, a Jefferson County jury found Bryant Smith guilty following a three-day trial. He was convicted on two counts of capital murder, one count of attempted capital murder, and several other charges. The court sentenced Smith to life in prison without the possibility of parole.