In the winter of 2014, the life of 45-year-old Waynesboro Police Reserve Captain Kevin Quick was tragically cut short in a series of events that began with his sudden disappearance and ended in the discovery of his murder. On the evening of January 31, 2014, Quick left his mother's home in Nelson County, with the intention of visiting his girlfriend and their infant daughter in Albemarle County.
He never arrived, and what followed was a desperate search that captured the attention of communities across Central Virginia. His abandoned Toyota 4Runner was later found in Louisa County, escalating concerns for his safety. The search concluded in the most heartbreaking way possible on February 6, when his body was discovered in a wooded area in Goochland County.
The investigation into Captain Quick's death quickly revealed a sinister plot orchestrated by members of a violent street gang known as the '99 Goon Syndikate,' a subset of the Bloods. It was determined that Quick was the victim of a random carjacking, a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. As he arrived at the Turtle Creek apartments, he was abducted at gunpoint by gang members. The assailants then drove him to various locations, attempting to withdraw money from his bank accounts using his ATM card while he was held captive in his own vehicle. Ultimately, they took him to a remote area and shot him, leaving his body in the woods to conceal their crime.
A swift and intensive investigation led to the arrests of multiple individuals connected to the '99 Goon Syndikate.' Among those charged with Quick's kidnapping and murder were Daniel Lamont Mathis, Shantai Monique Shelton, Mersadies Lachelle Shelton, and Travis Leon Bell, also known as Kweli Uhuru. Other members of the gang, including Halisi Uhuru and Anthony Stokes, faced racketeering charges for their roles as ringleaders in a broader criminal conspiracy that included robberies and drug dealing. The complex case involved a web of interconnected criminal activities that spanned multiple jurisdictions.
The legal proceedings that followed brought the full scope of the gang's violent activities to light. In February 2016, a federal jury found six defendants guilty on all charges, including the four directly responsible for Captain Quick's murder and two gang ringleaders. The trial, which included testimony from over 50 witnesses, detailed the ruthless nature of the '99 Goon Syndikate' and the tragic final hours of Captain Quick's life. In September 2016, Daniel Lamont Mathis, Shantai Monique Shelton, Mersadies Lachelle Shelton, and Kweli Uhuru were all sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the murder of Captain Kevin Quick. The convictions and lengthy sentences served as a decisive blow to the gang's operations and brought a measure of justice to the family and community mourning the loss of a dedicated officer.
