In the early evening of March 16, 2021, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace in a Louisville, Kentucky, neighborhood, tragically ending the life of 24-year-old Demontray Rhodes, a male resident of the city. The fatal encounter occurred around 6:30 p.m. near the intersection of South 12th and West Hill streets, within the Park Hill Housing Complex. First responders found Rhodes suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to the University of Louisville Hospital in critical condition, but his injuries proved too severe, and he was pronounced dead shortly after 7 p.m. that same evening.
The investigation into the shooting quickly gained momentum as Louisville Metro Police detectives utilized the city's Real Time Crime Center cameras. Surveillance footage captured a vehicle leaving the scene of the crime with five individuals inside. The day after the shooting, authorities located the car, leading to the first of several arrests. Deric Burns, who was 21 at the time, was taken into custody and charged with murder after admitting he was in the area when the shooting happened. His arrest marked the beginning of a series of apprehensions as the net closed in on those involved in Rhodes' death.
Over the following weeks and months, more suspects were brought into custody. Deandre Smithers, then 20, was arrested in April 2021 following a tense standoff with a SWAT team at an apartment in the Park Hill neighborhood. A third suspect, 19-year-old Dmitri Crumes, was arrested more than a year later, in July 2022. Investigators identified Crumes from the surveillance video, which reportedly showed him running from the shooting with what appeared to be a handgun before getting into the getaway vehicle. His eventual arrest came after he was spotted riding a stolen dirt bike recklessly and was apprehended by police.
The legal process that followed brought a measure of resolution for the killing of Demontray Rhodes, with several individuals facing consequences for their roles in the crime. The investigation implicated a total of five people. Tameron Meadows pleaded guilty to facilitation to murder and received a sentence of five years on probation. Deric Burns and Deandre Smither also faced justice, with Burns receiving probation and Smither being sentenced to three years in prison. The stiffest penalty was handed down to Kevon Jackson, who was sentenced to 17 years behind bars for his part in the fatal shooting. The arrest of Dmitri Crumes on a murder charge marked another significant step in the pursuit of justice for Rhodes and his grieving family.
