In the winter of 2015, the life of 30-year-old Nevelo Smith, a Black / African American male, was tragically cut short in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On the morning of January 4th, what began as a return home with his girlfriend and two others turned into a scene of terror and violence. Waiting inside the residence was his girlfriend's 18-year-old ex-boyfriend, Markell L.
Greer, who was armed and had been holding his ex-girlfriend's 15-year-old sister captive for over 12 hours after sexually assaulting her.
Upon their arrival, the younger sister managed to warn them of Greer's presence and that he had a gun. As Greer emerged, Smith attempted to flee down the stairs and back to the car they had just exited. Greer pursued him and fired his weapon. The first shot missed, but a second struck Nevelo Smith in the back. Despite being fatally wounded, Smith managed to get back into the vehicle and was driven to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to his back and chest.
Following the shooting, Greer held the three young women at gunpoint inside the home. They were eventually able to escape and alert the authorities. Police responded to calls of shots fired and a report of the sexual assault and were able to track Greer's footprints in the snow to a nearby location where he was arrested. A black revolver was also recovered at the scene.
Markell L. Greer was initially charged with a string of felonies, including first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault of a child, armed robbery, kidnapping, and substantial battery. In a plea deal, he pleaded guilty to reduced charges of first-degree reckless homicide, second-degree sexual assault of a child, and three counts of false imprisonment. For these crimes, he was sentenced to a total of 55 years in prison followed by 30 years of extended supervision.
