In the spring of 2014, the life of 20-year-old Caucasian female Sierrah Rochelle Simmons was tragically cut short in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. On the evening of April 2, 2014, Sierrah was inside a residence at 1708 4th Avenue SE with Quintrell D. Perkins, age 22, and others. Suddenly, a barrage of gunfire erupted from outside the home, shattering the evening's peace. Both Simmons and Perkins were struck by the bullets and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of death for Sierrah was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head and neck.
The Cedar Rapids Police Department immediately launched a double homicide investigation. In the initial stages, authorities reached out to the public for any information that could lead to the person or persons responsible for the violent act. For nearly three years, the case remained a subject of active investigation, a painful open wound for the families of the two young victims. Sierrah was remembered by her loved ones for her big heart and artistic abilities, a young woman who enjoyed spending time with her family and friends.
A breakthrough in the investigation eventually led to the arrest of Kendu Ray Petties. Prosecutors brought a case against him, alleging that he was the individual who stood outside the home on that fateful April night and opened fire. In March 2017, a Linn County jury found Kendu Petties guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Sierrah Simmons and Quintrell Perkins. He was also convicted of conspiracy. Following the verdict, Petties was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing a measure of judicial closure to the tragic and untimely deaths of two young people.
