In the winter of 2016, a violent encounter in Newport News, Virginia, claimed the life of 30-year-old Quinton Antonio Kelly. On January 14th, police responded to a report of a vehicle accident near the intersection of 14th Street and Wickham Avenue. Arriving at the scene, they discovered Kelly and another man, 38-year-old Cadre Antwoine Gray, inside a silver van.
Both men had been shot and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly identified two suspects: Laratio Lorenzo Dantzler and Stephen Lorenzo Hayes. A witness at the scene pointed out a fleeing suspect, leading to a confrontation between Dantzler and police officers in the 1300 block of Roanoke Avenue. During the encounter, Dantzler, who was armed, was shot by the officers and taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was subsequently arrested and faced a multitude of charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, attempted robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The second suspect, Stephen Lorenzo Hayes, turned himself in to the authorities on February 16, 2016. He was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted robbery, and firearm offenses. However, the murder charges against Hayes were later dropped.
In a strange turn of events, the entire incident was unintentionally captured on video by a private investigator who was conducting surveillance on an unrelated case in the same area. This footage proved to be crucial evidence. The video showed Dantzler and Hayes attempting to rob Kelly and Gray inside the van. It captured Hayes fleeing the scene before Dantzler leaned into the vehicle and opened fire. This evidence, combined with a 911 call from a neighbor who witnessed the shooting, built a strong case against Dantzler. He was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Quinton Antonio Kelly and Cadre Antwoine Gray. While the murder charges were dropped, Hayes still faced charges related to the robbery.
