Ladarius Clardy case: Charges dropped against three defendants in fatal shooting
The Office of the State Attorney has announced it will dismiss the criminal charges against three of the five men arrested in connection with the shooting death of former Pine Forest High School football star Ladarius "LD" Clardy
In a news release Thursday, the State Attorney's Office said it had reviewed all available evidence and testimony in Clardy’s July 2021 death made the decision not to prosecute Kobie Lashun Jenkins Jr., Timothy Donaill Knight or Terrell Taquez Parker.
"The lawful arrests were made based on probable cause after a comprehensive investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office," the statement said. "The legal standard for the Office of State Attorney to prosecute a crime requires a greater standard of proof beyond and to the exclusion of reasonable doubt. Currently, the evidence does not meet that standard."
'He had it all': Shock, grief rock Pensacola community at Pine Forest star's death
Third suspect arrested in homicide of LD Clardy; two more suspects are still at-large
The release noted that because this is an ongoing investigation and criminal cases are pending against the remaining two defendants, brothers Daquavion Keamos Snowden and Amos Dehontiquan Snowden, the State Attorney's Office "cannot disclose and further information at this time."
Clardy, 18, was killed July 1 after more than 50 rounds were fired at his vehicle near West Fairfield Drive and Hollywood Avenue. His former Pine Forest teammate, 19-year-old Eric Young, was a passenger in the car that night and was injured but survived.
At a press conference in October 2021, Sheriff Chip Simmons said investigators believe Clardy and Young traveled July 1 to a dice game and were spotted by Knight and Parker, who mistook Clardy for someone who was rumored to have taken out a hit on them, Simmons said.
Knight and Parker contacted Jenkins and the Snowden brothers, the sheriff said. When Clardy and Young left the dice game in Clardy's car, the five men allegedly followed them in two vehicles and opened fire at Clardy and Young.
The ECSO received hundreds of tips related to Clardy’s murder from concerned citizens, and Simmons said it took investigators months to gather enough information to make arrests.
Two men arrested for killing of Pine Forest quarterback Ladarius Clardy, third man sought
Search is over: Final suspects in shooting death of Ladarius 'LD' Clardy arrested
The Snowden brothers were arrested in September, and the other three men were all in custody by late October.
"The Office of the State Attorney and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office will continue to diligently investigate and gather information in this case," the news release Thursday said. "Upon developing sufficient admissible evidence, charges against Knight and Parker will be reinitiated."
Both the Snowden brothers have been charged with the murder of Clardy, with a trial tentatively set for this summer.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Ladarius Clardy Pensacola murder case will focus on Snowden brothers
