On the evening of November 5, 2020, a meeting in the parking lot of Fayette Mall in Lexington, Kentucky, turned fatal for 23-year-old Jermaine Jaquael Barber. A male, Barber had arranged to meet 19-year-old Jessin Stateman, a resident of Danville. The encounter, which took place near the P.F. Chang's and Cheesecake Factory restaurants around the mall's 8 p.m. closing time, escalated into a deadly altercation.
The arranged meeting between Barber and Stateman reportedly involved marijuana.
According to statements made by Stateman and his ex-girlfriend, who was also present, Barber attempted to rob them, getting into their car, 'pistol-whipping' Stateman, and threatening to kill them before exiting the vehicle. As Barber was walking away from Stateman's car, Stateman fired a pistol multiple times, striking Barber. Officers who responded to reports of shots fired found Barber in the parking lot with a gunshot wound. He was transported to the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died. An autopsy was scheduled to be conducted by the State Medical Examiner's office.
Following the shooting, Jessin Stateman was located in a nearby parking lot and arrested without incident. He was the sole suspect, and police did not anticipate further arrests. Initially, Stateman was charged with murder and criminal mischief. During the investigation, conflicting reasons for the meeting were given, with one account suggesting a shoe deal gone wrong and another pointing to a marijuana transaction that resulted in a robbery. Stateman later admitted he was there to sell marijuana to Barber, whom he knew through the social media app Snapchat. He claimed he fired his gun until it was empty because he was scared and trying to create distance after the alleged robbery.
In January 2023, Jessin Stateman's murder trial began. However, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Following the deadlock, a plea agreement was reached, and Stateman, then 21, pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of manslaughter and criminal mischief. He faced a potential prison sentence of 15 years as a result of the plea deal.
