Four teens involved in 2020 murder of Biloxi 16 year old sentenced
Four people who were teens at the time they were involved in a 2020 murder were sentenced on Tuesday for their roles in the death of Madison Harris, District Attorney W. Crosby Parker said in a press release.
Jasmine Kelley, Jarvis Cook, Willow Blackmon and Yakeshia Blackmon, of Biloxi, had previously entered guilty pleas before Circuit Court Judge Randi P. Muller for their roles in the murder of Madison Harris, who was killed in a robbery attempt at her home in Biloxi in 2020.
Jaquez “Quez” Devonte Porter, who was also involved in the killing, was sentenced to life in prison for capital murder on April 14. Willow Blackmon, Jarvis Cook and Jasmine Kelley testified at Porter’s trial.
During Porter’s sentencing, his grandmother Tammy Lytrice Porter, 55, was arrested after allegedly shouting obscenities and threatening Judge Muller after the sentence was handed down.
Jarvis Cook, who was out on bond for an unrelated Gulfport case at the time of the murder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and robbery and received a sentence of 43 years. He will serve 25 of those years before being on post-release supervision for five years.
Yakeshia Blackmon, who had her hand on the gun when it went off, killing Harris, was sentenced to 40 years, and will serve 30 of those years without the possibility of parole for second-degree murder and robbery.
Jasmine Kelley was sentenced to 20 years for manslaughter and Willow Blackmon was sentenced to 30 years for manslaughter and robbery.
During the sentencing, family members of both the defendants and the victim addressed the court.
Before sentencing the defendants, Judge Muller noted that while the defendants were young at the time of the crime, they were still responsible, saying “there are a lot of people with issues in their lives that don’t make these types of decisions,” when a defendant made an argument they had a difficult home life.
“Whenever a juvenile commits a crime of violence with a deadly weapon, the law treats them as an adult, and they will be punished as such. We as a Gulf Coast community must make a difference before the violence,” Parker said.
Assistant District Attorney George Huffman and Billy Stage prosecuted the case.
Teens plotted attack over marijuana
According to the press release, Jaquez Porter and his friend Jarvis Cook, who were both 17 years old at the time, were at the house of sisters Yakeshia, 17, and Willow Blackmon, 15, on the day of the murder.
Porter, Cook, and the Blackmon sisters discussed attacking and robbing Harris after seeing a social media post that Harris reportedly had marijuana. The Blackmon sisters lived near Harris and had an ongoing dispute with her.
The group recruited Jasmine Kelley, 15, who was friends with Harris to assist in the crime. Kelley went to Harris’ home and sent messages to the group to assist with the robbery as she hung out with Harris and a male friend of Harris.
“As Kelley was sending the group inside information, they were back at the Blackmon house preparing for the robbery. The Blackmon sisters changed into dark clothes and wore bandanas on their faces,” said Assistant District Attorney George Huffman during the trial. “About 30 minutes after dropping Kelly off, the group attempted to break into Harris’s house through the bedroom window.”
According to ADA Huffman, Harris’ window was only able to be partially opened, so Porter pulled a gun and held Harris and her friend at gunpoint through the window as the Blackmon sisters entered the house through a carport door, which was seen on footage from a Ring doorbell.
When the Blackmon sisters reached Harris’ room, Porter gave the gun to Yakeshia Blackmon through the window before running into the house with Jarvis Cook.
Harris was shot after Yakeshia Blackmon and Harris’s male friend struggled over the gun and it discharged. Harris later died in surgery.
