In the quiet town of Tylertown, Mississippi, the life of 18-year-old DenJavis 'DJ' Warren, a male, was abruptly cut short on the evening of February 18, 2021. His body was discovered inside a car that was riddled with bullets on the side of Highway 27, just south of the Magee's Creek bridge. An autopsy would later reveal that he had suffered a single gunshot wound to his torso. The discovery of the young man's vehicle, marked by the violence of multiple gunshots, sent ripples of concern through the community and launched a thorough investigation by the Walthall County Sheriff's deputies.
The investigation into the drive-by shooting quickly gained momentum. Within hours of the incident, investigators identified DeJohn Morgan as a suspect. During questioning at the sheriff's office, Morgan confessed to his involvement as one of the shooters. His confession also implicated a second individual, Damarcus Oneal Smith. Based on this information, Smith was located and arrested just two hours after Morgan was taken into custody. The investigation further revealed the involvement of a third person, Tobresha Conerly of Tylertown.
Initially, all three suspects—DeJohn Morgan, Damarcus Oneal Smith, and Tobresha Conerly—were charged with first-degree murder. As the legal proceedings unfolded, the charges were amended. Ultimately, all three individuals pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, drive-by shooting, and conspiracy for their roles in the death of DenJavis Warren. As his trial was about to begin, DeJohn Morgan, then 19, accepted a plea deal. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison, with 13 years suspended, to be followed by post-release supervision. The guilty pleas from all three individuals brought a sense of accountability for the violent act that took a young life and left a lasting scar on the community.
