On a summer evening in Des Moines, Iowa, the life of 19-year-old Noah Campbell, a Black / African American male, was tragically cut short on August 22, 2017. He was fatally shot outside a Valero gas station on the east side of the city, an event that would lead to a complex investigation and the arrests of multiple individuals. In his final moments, a bystander comforted Campbell, holding him as he died.
The investigation into Campbell's death quickly gained momentum, and two days after
the shooting, Des Moines police made their first arrest. Daniel Antonio Lamay, an 18-year-old resident of Des Moines, was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder for his alleged role in aiding and abetting the killing. At the time of his arrest, Lamay was on parole for a prior theft conviction. Shortly after, a second suspect, 29-year-old Crystal Michelle Lee, was also charged with first-degree murder. Authorities identified Lee as the driver of the getaway vehicle used on the night of the shooting. While both Lamay and Lee were implicated in the crime, police stated that neither was believed to be the one who fired the fatal shot.
The search for the suspected shooter continued, leading investigators to seek a third individual. In April 2018, eight months after Campbell's death, authorities located and arrested 20-year-old Malik Mandujano in Florida. He was extradited back to Iowa to face a charge of first-degree murder in connection with Campbell's death. Police had previously identified Mandujano as a person of interest who they believed had critical information that could help them close the case. With Mandujano's arrest, all three suspects were in custody and charged with first-degree murder, accused of acting with premeditation and malice in the death of Noah Campbell.
