In a tragic sequence of events, 20-year-old Curtis Jenkins III of Camden, New Jersey, was found dead in July 2019, the victim of a calculated kidnapping plot that ended in his murder. Jenkins, the grandson of the Camden City Council President, was an aspiring entrepreneur who ran a barbecue food delivery service. It was this burgeoning business that his abductors used to lure him into a deadly trap.
On the night of June 30, 2019, Jenkins went out to make a food delivery to what police believe was a false address. This was the last time he was seen alive.
Shortly after he was reported missing, his family received a chilling ransom demand. The kidnappers sent a photograph of Jenkins tied up and blindfolded, demanding 10 to 15 pounds of marijuana for his safe return. His father, upon receiving the demand, reported it to the police. The investigation moved swiftly, and authorities began to piece together the events of that fateful night.
The search for the young man came to a grim conclusion on July 2, 2019, when his body was discovered in an abandoned garage in Camden. He was found wrapped in a sheet with his hands and feet bound and a plastic bag over his head. The cause of death was determined to be homicide by asphyxiation. Some reports also indicated he may have been shot at least once.
Authorities quickly identified a primary suspect, 32-year-old Brandon Beverly of Westville, New Jersey. It was reported that Jenkins and Beverly knew each other. Beverly was arrested and initially charged with kidnapping and aggravated assault, but these charges were upgraded to first-degree murder following the discovery of Jenkins' body. According to police, Beverly confessed that he had become frustrated during the kidnapping and shot Jenkins before leaving him in the garage. He allegedly orchestrated the entire plot, luring Jenkins to the location under the guise of a food order.
A second suspect, 22-year-old Jalen Carr of Sicklerville, was also arrested in connection with the crime. Investigators believe Carr was involved in a robbery that took place a week prior, during which a phone was stolen. This same phone was later used to make the ransom call to Jenkins' family. Carr was subsequently charged with robbery and weapons offenses for his alleged role in the events leading up to the kidnapping and murder. Both men were later denied bail.
