In the late hours of a Saturday in Marshalltown, Iowa, the life of 20-year-old Dedrikk Fisher, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short. On January 17, 2015, a dispute at a residence in the northwest part of the city escalated with deadly consequences. Fisher was shot in the chest and rushed to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries about an hour later.
The cause of death was determined to be a single gunshot wound that pierced his heart and left lung.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting sparked a manhunt for the suspected shooter, 19-year-old Jose Enrique Morales. For four days, Morales managed to evade authorities. The investigation led police to a local apartment complex during a follow-up with a potential witness, where they discovered and apprehended Morales on January 21. The search for justice did not end with his capture. The investigation revealed that others had assisted Morales in his attempt to escape the law.
Two other individuals were subsequently arrested in connection with the case. Bethany Leigh Brant, 26, was charged with accessory after the fact and neglect of a dependent person. It was alleged that she knowingly harbored Morales at her residence while police were searching for him, an act that also endangered a minor child. Another accomplice, 19-year-old Francisco "Frankie" Padilla-Galvez, was charged with accessory after the fact for his role in hiding the murder weapon, a. 22 caliber revolver, which was later recovered by law enforcement.
Jose Morales was initially charged with first-degree murder, to which he pleaded not guilty. Following a four-day trial, a jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder. In May 2015, a judge sentenced Morales to 50 years in prison. Under the terms of his sentence, he is required to serve a minimum of 35 years before being eligible for parole. The court also ordered Morales to pay $150,000 in restitution to Fisher's parents. During the sentencing, Fisher's family delivered powerful and emotional victim impact statements, expressing their profound grief and anger over the senseless loss of a young life.
