In the late hours of a February night in 2018, the life of 19-year-old Jayln Devon Harris, a Black male from Virginia Beach, Virginia, was cut tragically short. Known by his stage name JayLotto, Harris was an aspiring music artist and a young father. On February 13, 2018, police responded to a single-car crash outside the Ocean Walk Apartments on 16th Street. Inside the vehicle, which had struck a utility pole, they found Harris suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into Harris's death revealed a story that began with a plan to purchase marijuana. According to court documents, Harris had arranged to buy 28 grams of marijuana from Andre'Jeru Bernard Bigby. The driver of the car later told detectives that Harris had intended to snatch the drugs and flee without paying. After meeting with Bigby and returning to the car, Bigby allegedly approached the vehicle and made a threatening statement, alluding to having a gun. As the driver sped away, a shot was fired into the car, striking Harris in the torso.
In the days that followed, the Virginia Beach Police Department made several arrests in connection with the homicide. On February 16, 2018, 33-year-old Henry Alexander Smith III of Virginia Beach was taken into custody and charged with accessory after the fact. The man who allegedly fired the fatal shot, 30-year-old Andre'Jeru Bernard Bigby, was charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Bigby became the subject of a manhunt that ended nearly two months later when he was apprehended in Slab City, California. A third individual, Joshua Rucker, Harris's cousin who reportedly connected him with Bigby, was arrested on a charge of conspiracy to sell marijuana.
The death of Jayln Devon Harris left his family, including his mother, Lovey Vawters, devastated and searching for answers. Vawters expressed her grief and frustration, stating her belief that her son was not a thief and that the narrative of the drug deal gone wrong was an attempt to shift blame onto the victim. The case highlighted the tragic consequences of a series of events that culminated in the loss of a young life with promising musical talent.
