Suspect in deadly Dove Drive shooting takes plea deal
Jazsmin Halliburton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A suspect involved in a deadly shooting on Dove Drive in north Columbia in 2023 took a plea deal Thursday.
Damarkus Williams, 20, was given a 10-year sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections for a guilty plea to second-degree conspiracy to commit murder.
Williams had been charged with first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon in the death of Deshon Houston in June 2023.
Lacondance Houston, Deshon’s mother, spoke with ABC 17 News following court today.
“Do I think 10 years is enough? No, 10 years is not enough but it is what it is. We’re getting some justice for him,” Houston said.
Seven people total were charged in the Dove Dr. shooting. Ja’shaun Barney is the only one who has not pleaded guilty.
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 Williams.
All of the men were 21 years old or younger when the shooting first happened. They originally had second-degree murder charges, which were later upgraded to first-degree murder.
Lacondance said a change needs to happen among the Columbia community.
“We need to put more positivity into our black youth, young boys, because we’re losing them,” she said. “We need to start from the root of the problem which is younger adult males out here that are leading these kids to do foolishness.”
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.
Jajuan Crockett, 23, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in May 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.
Williams, who was 18 at the time of the shooting, will have to serve 85% of his 10-year sentence before he is eligible for parole. He will get credit for time served.