On a late summer night in Newport News, Virginia, the life of 21-year-old Messiah Jarvis Martin was tragically cut short. On September 3, 2022, Martin, a Black / African American male, went to the Aqueduct Apartments in the Denbigh area of the city to pick up his girlfriend from a birthday party. The gathering, however, would soon become the scene of a fatal encounter.
Shortly after his arrival around 2:00 a.m., Martin was confronted by the party's host, De'Aundre Malique Jarrett.
Jarrett reportedly attempted to provoke a fight with Martin, who did not engage. Despite Martin's refusal to fight, Jarrett escalated the situation by punching him in the back of the head. As Martin attempted to leave the party with his girlfriend, Jarrett produced a handgun and opened fire. Martin was struck in the head and back and was pronounced dead at the scene. His 21-year-old girlfriend was also shot once in the chest but survived her injuries.
The investigation into the shooting led police to identify De'Aundre Malique Jarrett as the suspect. He was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. During the trial, Martin's girlfriend testified as a prosecution witness, providing a firsthand account of the events that transpired. In December, a jury found Jarrett guilty of the charges against him. A judge later sentenced him to a total of 67 years in prison: 64 years for the first-degree murder of Messiah Jarvis Martin and an additional three years for the firearm charge. While Jarrett was held accountable for Martin's death, no charges have been filed in connection with the shooting of his girlfriend, and that investigation remains open.
