On the evening of December 21, 2015, just four days before Christmas, emergency services in Atlantic City, New Jersey, received a distressing call. DeVonte Molley, a 23-year-old male from Mays Landing, was found bleeding from a severe abdominal injury in the lobby of the Baymont Inn & Suites, then known as the Madison Hotel. He had managed to crawl from Room 859, get on an elevator, and collapse, where he was discovered.
Rushed to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. An autopsy later confirmed that the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the abdomen, and his death was ruled a homicide.
The investigation into the young man's death soon unraveled a story of betrayal. It was revealed that DeVonte was the victim of a planned robbery orchestrated by someone he considered a friend. Maurice Burgess, who had been staying in Molley's hotel room that weekend, had set him up. Burgess, along with two other men, Sterling Spence and Charles Wynn, conspired to rob DeVonte of heroin and money. Text messages between the men later became crucial evidence, painting a clear picture of their intentions. Burgess let Spence and Wynn into the room while DeVonte was asleep.
The deadly confrontation occurred when DeVonte woke up to find the intruders. According to trial testimony, a struggle ensued. Sterling Spence, who was friends with DeVonte, claimed the gun belonged to Molley and that it discharged accidentally as they wrestled for control of the weapon. Mortally wounded, DeVonte managed to make his way to the hotel lobby for help. When questioned by a police officer before he lost consciousness, he claimed not to know who shot him. The gun used in the shooting was never recovered.
Justice for DeVonte Molley came in January 2019 when a jury found all three men responsible for his death. Maurice Burgess and Sterling Spence were found guilty of felony murder and robbery. They were later sentenced to 50 years in state prison. Charles Wynn was convicted on the lesser charge of reckless manslaughter and attempted theft, receiving an eight-year prison sentence. During the sentencing, DeVonte's family spoke of the profound loss and the pain of seeing the defendants, particularly his supposed friend Sterling Spence who even attended his funeral, show no remorse during the trial.
