In the winter of 2016, the community of Greenwood, Mississippi, was shaken by the violent death of Jacarius Marquelle Keys, a 23-year-old Black man. On the evening of December 28th, Keys was found deceased near the intersection of Main and Palace streets. He had been shot in what investigators believed to be a targeted attack. Known as a lyricist and a barber, his sudden and tragic death left a void in the lives of his family and friends.
The investigation into the homicide quickly led to arrests. Two men, Michael Holland, who was 22 at the time, and Ladarius Lemock, were charged in connection with the murder. Holland was charged with first-degree murder, while Lemock faced a charge of acting in concert to commit murder, indicating a belief that the act was premeditated.
Further legal proceedings revealed a connection between Keys' death and a larger criminal case. In a related series of events, Armond Jones was found guilty of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. He received a life sentence for the murder, with additional consecutive terms for the attempted murder charges. Two other men, Sedrick Buchanan and James McClung, were also implicated and subsequently found guilty of aggravated assault, receiving the maximum sentences for their roles in the violence that surrounded the death of Jacarius Marquelle Keys.
