John H. Harris, a 28-year-old Black male, tragically lost his life on the night of January 9, 2021, in Lexington, Kentucky. The graduate of Bryan Station High School was remembered for his infectious smile and his love for cars. He was a cherished son to Angelia Harris and Hendra “Dre” Valentine, and a brother to four siblings.
On that fateful evening, Harris was discovered inside a vehicle that had crashed in a parking lot located at 3390 Richmond Road.
He had sustained gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. His death marked the first homicide of the year in Lexington. The community was deeply saddened by the loss, and a vigil was held in his memory.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrests of 23-year-old Mercedes Childress and 22-year-old Davontae Cobb in November 2021. At the time of their arrests, both individuals were already incarcerated at the Fayette County Detention Center on unrelated charges. They were subsequently charged with murder in connection with Harris's death.
In a later development, Davontae Cobb pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He also received an additional five years for unrelated charges of being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun and conspiracy to commit robbery. Mercedes Childress pleaded guilty to criminal facilitation.
