Dezmond Marquell Alexander was sentenced to 22 years in prison Thursday for the second-degree murder of Darrell Hill. Alexander and four other suspects had planned and carried out an armed robbery of the victim in September 2019. Alexander was then 17 years old and Darrell Hill was 20.
The victim's mother, grandfather and grandmother made statements to the courtroom, as did. Alexander.
“It hurts that all I have is pictures,” his mother said. “Whatever he gets, he deserves it.”
Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn said she was impressed with Alexander's "heartfelt apology" read to the court and to the family, which she said showed "genuine and sincere remorse."
Alexander read, “I take full responsibility... I did not expect things to go down like that... I wish I could bring him back. I really do.”
State prosecutor Miller Leonard had argued for the state’s maximum sentence of 25 years while the defendant’s attorney, Charles Dupree, argued for 15 to 17 years.
In his statement to the court, the victim’s grandfather told Judge Dunn that Alexander could walk free today as he himself would, “as far as I’m concerned,” he said, such was his disappointment in the prosecution of the other suspects in the armed robbery that led to murder. He named Juvenile Court Judge Rob Philyaw and District Attorney Coty Wamp.
“It’s a shame, I don’t mind saying it. I’m not going to sugar-coat it,” he said.
One of the five suspects in the 2019 altercation was never identified or brought to court. Two teen females who helped plan and execute the armed robbery were charged as juveniles and “turned loose,” the grandfather said.
James Holmes-Hamilton, 28, had worked out a plea deal with a lesser charge to serve four years.
“It’s been hard. It’s been pain,” the grandfather said.
The victim’s grandmother addressed the courtroom squeezing a stress ball. She said her grandson had cooked for her, checked on her daily and would plan last-minute family reunions.
“I never be able to see this beautiful smile again,” she said. She turned to Alexander and pointed to her shirt that read “De Baby For Life. Forever Love.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Alexander said to her.
“Oh, he loved to get the family together,” she said. “Lord, have mercy, if I could just see him one more time.”
“Instead of getting to know him, they judged him... and they took his life. Only God have that right, not him,” she said, gesturing to Alexander.
Judge Dunn said she considered Alexander to be a leader in the crime and characterized his use of the 9mm firearm as "exceptional" because he chose it to be “scary” and later emptied every bullet at the time of the murder.
“They both emptied both of their pistols at each other,” attorney Dupree said. “It could just as well have been Mr. Alexander (who died).”
Alexander did not claim self-defense during the trial, prosecutor Leonard said. He said Mr. Alexander had told police the night he was arrested, “I did what I had to do.”
Judge Dunn said she also considered Alexander’s mental health history. He had been part of the foster care system since age 11 and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder at 14. His courtroom statement said that he was high on meth at the time of the shooting.
After delivering her sentence, Judge Dunn said the family could now “work on finding some peace and some healing.”