In the early morning hours of October 9, 2017, the life of 37-year-old Kontar Dwayne Roberson, a Black male, was tragically cut short on South 23rd Street in the California neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. Roberson, who lived on the same block where he was found, was known as a helpful and kind man, often lending his skills in carpentry and cooking to others in his community.
His family remembered him as a significant presence in their lives, with his niece viewing him as a father figure who consistently helped her with schoolwork.
The events that led to Roberson's death began with a dispute involving his 16-year-old neighbor, Jeremiah Carter. At the time, Carter was on home incarceration for a previous offense, the 2016 Pegasus Parade shooting. During the altercation with Roberson, Carter removed his ankle monitor and fled after fatally shooting him. He was apprehended by police later that same evening in the 2600 block of Taylorsville Road and was subsequently charged with murder.
Jeremiah Carter, who was charged as an adult, eventually entered into a plea deal. The murder charge was amended to second-degree manslaughter, with Carter claiming he acted in self-defense, a claim disputed by the fact that Roberson was unarmed. In a decision that drew criticism, Carter received 10 years of probation for the death of Roberson. This sentence was to run concurrently with the 15 years of probation he was given for the Pegasus Parade shooting. Roberson's family expressed their profound disappointment with the outcome, feeling that the sentence did not deliver justice for the loss of their loved one.
