Dequelon Trevaune Penn, a 26-year-old man, tragically lost his life on October 3, 2018, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Known to friends and family as 'Tuggie,' he was a devoted father to two sons and remembered for his joyful nature and unforgettable charm. Having attended Will Rogers High School and later obtaining a degree in carpentry from Job Corp, he had a passion for his trade, as well as for dancing and music.
His primary goal was to provide a better life for his children.
The evening of his death unfolded at the Sunset Plaza Apartments. Penn was with his girlfriend and her ex-boyfriend, Jessdun Markham. Witnesses, including Penn's girlfriend, reported that the two men were having a normal conversation while smoking marijuana. Suddenly, for reasons that remain unclear, Markham produced a gun and shot Penn multiple times. The sound of gunshots prompted neighbors to call 911, and Penn's girlfriend also alerted the police around 12:30 a.m. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Penn deceased.
Shortly after the shooting, Jessdun Markham, who was 27 at the time, was taken into custody. He had approached a security guard, confessed to the killing, and asked for a ride. Authorities later located him on the roof of a nearby YMCA, where he was apprehended with the help of the Tulsa Fire Department. During questioning, Markham admitted to shooting Penn and led investigators to the firearm he had used, which was recovered from the roof of a building in a park.
Following his arrest, Jessdun Markham was charged with first-degree murder and felony firearm possession. While a definitive motive was never firmly established, Markham suggested to investigators that he had become paranoid. He claimed to believe the marijuana they were smoking might have been laced with another substance, causing him to think that Penn was reaching for a gun.
