On January 6, 2021, a bright and promising life was tragically cut short in the parking lot of the Clarion Inn and Suites in Cascade Township, Michigan. Markel Tyrel Williams, a 23-year-old male from Grand Rapids, became the victim of a fatal shooting during what investigators believe was an attempted robbery. The young father was found unresponsive and was quickly transported to a nearby hospital, but sadly succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the death of Markel Williams
led authorities to two suspects. The suspects were identified as Jonqual Ernest Shaw and Devanta Jamari Glasper, both described as Black males in their late teens or early 20s. According to investigators, the duo ambushed Williams in the hotel parking lot with the intention of robbing him of his electronics and other personal items. During the commission of the robbery, shots were fired, and Williams was struck. It is also believed that one of the suspects may have been wounded during the altercation as they were seen fleeing the scene.
Following a thorough investigation, both Jonqual Ernest Shaw and Devanta Jamari Glasper were apprehended and faced justice for their roles in the tragic death of Markel Williams. On January 20, 2021, the Kent County Prosecutor's Office charged Shaw with felony murder, open murder, armed robbery, and felony firearm. A little over a month later, on February 12, 2021, his accomplice, Devanta Jamari Glasper, faced the same charges of homicide-open murder, homicide-felony murder, armed robbery, and three counts of felony firearm. Glasper, who had fled to Arizona, was extradited back to Michigan to face the charges.
The legal proceedings brought a measure of closure to the family and friends of Markel Williams. Jonqual Ernest Shaw was convicted by a jury of first-degree felony murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was subsequently sentenced to a mandatory life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. Devanta Jamari Glasper also faced a jury and was convicted of felony murder. He too was sentenced to life in prison, ensuring that both individuals responsible for the senseless death of Markel Tyrel Williams would be held accountable for their actions.
