Suspect in deadly Dove Drive shooting requests speedy trial as case hits 2-year mark
Erika McGuire
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
One of the seven men accused in the shooting death of Deshon Houston has requested a speedy trial two years after the killing.
Thursday marks the second anniversary of Houston’s death on Dove Drive in Columbia.
According to court documents, Ja’Shaun Barney made the request on May 29. A hearing is set for July 21 at 8:30 a.m. at the Boone County Courthouse.
Houston’s mother, Lacondance Houston, said she tries to focus on the love and good times the two of them had. But even with two years gone, the pain of losing her son still feels fresh, especially on the anniversary.
“The 26th of June 2023, today even though I didn’t get the call, but it still feels like the same day it happened,” Lacondance Houston said. “I miss you more than words can even express more than I can even say,”
According to court documents, men in two vehicles drove by a home on the 3200 block of Dove Drive and opened fire, shooting and killing Deshon.
Since his death, his mother says he had two kids on the way that have since been born making him dad of six.
She believes he would’ve been spending a day like today with all of them.
“He loved his kids, right now he would probably be at the swimming pool with his kids,” Lacondance Houston said. “His kids have to be without him and he loved his kids more than anything in the world,”
Seven men were charged in the case, and five have taken plea deals.
Last month, Jajuan Crockett, 23, of Columbia pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, tampering with a motor vehicle, two counts of stealing and one count of tampering with evidence. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
He is being held at South Central Correctional Center and is also serving a six-year sentence in an unrelated case.
The state said it agreed to the 10-year sentence because it could not confirm whether Crockett was in either vehicle used in the shooting, and he was not the shooter. However, prosecutors noted that he used his home as a meeting point and to dispose of evidence, according to court documents.
Court documents say Deazes Turner, Deljuan Turner and Alqueze Jones shot and killed Deshon Houston from a white 2017 Ford Explorer driven by Barney; while Bryton Allen also shot at Houston from an Acura MDX driven by Damarkus Williams.
All of the men originally had second-degree murder charges, which were later upgraded to first-degree murder.
Deljuan Turner pleaded guilty in November last year to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison. Jones, 21, pleaded guilty that same month to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
Allen, 22, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon and was sentenced to 20 years. He was also sentenced to four years in prison in an unrelated case where he pleaded guilty to resisting arrest in 2021.
Deazes Turner, 22, pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
Demarkus Williams is charged with first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. He has a status hearing set for 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Boone Courthouse.
“I wasn’t happy with the plea deals, but justice was serviced,” she said.
Lacondance Houston believes a trial and tougher sentences would have brought real justice.
“I’m gunna have to ensure life without him, so why should they not get life?” she said. “They wouldn’t have any idea what’s gonna happen totem if they went to trial, there ain’t no plea deal or nothing. You don’t know what you’re getting you go to trial you don’t know it has to be decided upon by the jury,”