In the summer of 2019, the life of 19-year-old LeMonte De'Juan Shields of Cincinnati was cut short by gun violence in Covington, Kentucky. Known affectionately as 'Monie,' Shields was fatally shot in the City Heights housing complex on Alden Court in the early morning hours of July 10, 2019. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The shooting that claimed Shields' life was preceded by another shooting nearby just an hour earlier.
In that incident, an 18-year-old was found with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg on White Court. Covington police quickly connected the two shootings and identified a suspect in Shields' homicide. Kermanuel Rice, a 37-year-old from Cincinnati, was arrested and charged with murder.
For years, the case against Rice proceeded through the legal system. However, in a turn of events, the murder charge against him was dropped in October 2023. The prosecution's case was severely hampered by the deaths of two witnesses in separate and unrelated shootings. Additionally, other potential witnesses proved to be uncooperative, making it impossible for the prosecution to meet its burden of proof. This development left the family of LeMonte Shields without the justice they had sought, as the man once accused of his murder was released from custody.
