On a warm Labor Day evening, September 2, 2019, the festive atmosphere of a large cookout at East Frankfort Park in Kentucky was shattered by gunfire. Amidst the chaos that sent approximately 150 people running for cover, 25-year-old Anthony Lamarr Hendrix Jr., a Black male from Cincinnati, Ohio, was struck by multiple bullets. Paramedics arrived to find him with no pulse and not breathing; he was rushed to Frankfort Regional Medical Center but was pronounced dead.
Two other individuals sustained minor injuries during the incident. Hendrix was a former defensive back for the Kentucky State University football team, and the gathering was attended by many KSU students.
The Frankfort Police Department quickly launched an investigation into the homicide. After conducting interviews with eyewitnesses and reviewing evidence, they identified a primary suspect: 28-year-old Justin L. Cromer, an alias of 'Crome.' Cromer was also a former KSU football player and had briefly been roommates with Hendrix. Investigators learned that nearly a year before the shooting, another roommate had filed a police report accusing Hendrix of stealing a rifle, cellphones, and cash. Despite this, Cromer testified later that he was not angry with Hendrix, only disappointed. An arrest warrant for murder was issued for Cromer, and Frankfort Crime Stoppers offered a reward for information leading to his capture.
Following the issuance of the warrant, a manhunt for Justin Cromer began. Cromer stated that he fled the park in the chaotic aftermath of the shooting, fearing he was being shot at, and drove to Detroit that same night for a job opportunity. Nearly two months after the shooting, U.S. Marshals apprehended Cromer as he was leaving a restaurant in Detroit. He was extradited back to Frankfort, where he was indicted for murder. After spending two and a half years in jail, Cromer's case went to trial. In February 2022, after three days of testimony, a jury deliberated for just over three hours before returning a verdict of not guilty, acquitting Cromer of the murder of Anthony Hendrix Jr.
