Woman, two others charged with murder after scheme to take her boyfriend’s cell phone turned deadly
Published 3:34 pm Thursday, May 28, 2020
Two men died in a Tuesday shootout because Jasmine Chantel Williams wanted to get her hands on her boyfriend’s cell phone, police reported.
Williams complained to some friends that she wanted the phone belonging to Kaylin Marquise Gray “due to him blackmailing her,” a report filed by the Crestview Police Department said.
Williams, 20, of Crestview, allegedly convinced three Andalusia, Alabama, people to rob Gray, by telling them she’d take Gray’s cell phone and let them split whatever money they retrieved from him during the course of a robbery, reports said.
“There’s really no justifying why this happened,” said Crestview Police Maj. Andrew Schneider. “A normal person can’t understand what would make someone do something like that.”
The robbe1y attempt went awry when Gray, also listed as an Alabama resident, pulled a gun and fired on Williams’ accomplices, Eric Rashawn Dorsey and Jakeith Tyrrell Edwards.
Edwards and Gray struggled.
Gray was shot in the head and died inside Room 149 at the Hilton Motel off U.S. Highway 90.
Edwards also suffered a fatal gunshot wound. He died soon after being admitted at North Okaloosa Medical Center.
Along with Williams, Dorsey and Tykira Zahane DeAndrade have been charged in the killing of Gray. Police were able to watch the botched robbery unfold thanks to motel surveillance equipment.
Arrest reports filed in the case said that Williams was seen exiting the hotel room where the robbery was to take place at about 9:03 p.m. on the night of the fatal shootings. She unlocked Gray’s vehicle and entered it, the report said.
Surveillance footage showed Williams re-enter the room but leave the door slightly ajar.
“While the defendant was returning to room 149, two males entered the frame,” the report said, describing what had been caught on tape.
Dorsey entered the room first, with Edwards behind him, the report said.
“They and the girl were in the room for about 15 seconds.”
DeAndrade had backed an escape vehicle into the motel parking lot, the report said.
She told police she had driven with Edwards and Dorsey from Alabama and knew Edwards planned to commit the robbery.
Dorsey told police he and Edwards intended to rob Gray “of money and something that was in his vehicle.”
He said Gray fired first in the motel room but was killed following a brief struggle with Edwards.
“I believe all parties in this case conspired to commit robbery with a firearm which resulted in a murder,” the officer said in conclusion. “Edwards suffered a fatal gunshot wound at the hands of the victim after entering the room with a firearm.”
