Second suspect in Pensacola quarterback Ladarius Clardy's killing set for trial

Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal
·4 min read

It's been nearly three years since star Pine Forest High and Kennesaw State quarterback Ladarius "LD" Clardy was killed in a hail of gunfire in July 2021.

Since then, one of his killers has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Now, a jury will be selected Monday to weigh the evidence against the second alleged shooter.

Amos Snowden, 22, is scheduled to head to trial once his 12-person jury is selected Monday. The jury will decide if he committed first-degree premeditated murder, attempted first-degree premeditated murder and attempted to conspire to commit a capital felony.

Here's what you should know about the case:

Why is Amos Snowden charged with 'LD' Clardy's murder?

Investigators believe that on July 1, the 18-year-old Clardy and his former teammate, Eric Young, traveled to a dice game and were spotted by Timothy Knight Jr. and Terrell Parker, who mistook Clardy for someone who was rumored to have taken out a hit on them, Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said at an October 2021 press conference.

Knight and Parker contacted Kobie Jenkins, Amos Snowden and his brother Da'quavion. When Clardy and Young left the dice game in Clardy's car, the five men followed them, according to the sheriff.

Knight and Parker trailed behind Clardy and Young in one car while the Snowden brothers and Jenkins followed behind in a second vehicle, investigators allege. Shooters in both of the two suspects' vehicles eventually opened fire at Clardy and Young, Simmons said.

Of the 58 shots fired into the vehicle, 14 of them hit Clardy. Young was injured but survived.

What happened to the other suspected gunmen in Ladarius Clardy's death?

After Clardy's death in July 2021, the Snowden brothers were arrested Sept. 30, followed by Jenkins, who was arrested Oct. 15. Both Knight and Parker were arrested Oct. 22. All were then indicted for their alleged involvement in the homicide.

However, in February 2023 the Office of the State Attorney announced they dropped the charges against Jenkins, Knight and Parker.

"The lawful arrests were made based on probable cause after a comprehensive investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office," a 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."

A jury convicted Da'quavion Snowden in July 2023 of Clardy's murder, and Circuit Judge John Simon quickly sentenced the Pensacola man to the mandatory minimum life in prison.

Ladarius Clardy.
Ladarius Clardy.

Who is Ladarius "LD" Clardy?

Clardy was an 18-year-old star quarterback who graduated from Pine Forest High School in 2020.

He was was the school's all-time leading passer and went on to play with NCAA Division I FCS Kennesaw State University in Georgia. He had been back home in Pensacola for only a few hours before the shooting.

How did Ladarius Clardy's death affect the community?

In the days and weeks after Clardy's death, his family members, community leaders and law enforcement officials called on the community to provide information to solve the case, leading hundreds of people to share tips and rumors that helped investigators eventually make arrests.

Some Black leaders in Pensacola hoped that effort was the start of a cultural shift in the city and that the outpouring of support in Clardy's homicide would permanently change the relationship between residents and police.

Ladarius Clardy’s family members were presented with a framed jersey by Kennesaw State University at the KSU homecoming football game, and KSU presented the lead detective who investigated Clardy’s murder with a signed football. The individuals pictures in the photograph are as follows, from left to right: Barbara Reed (Ladarius’ grandmother), Shakema Clardy (his stepmother), Ladarian Clardy (Ladarius’ brother), Ladaron Clardy (Ladarius’ father), Tracey Marshall (his mother), Elizabeth Marshall (his grandmother) and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Bruce Harris.

Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May said the tragic death pulled together the Black community in part because of who Clardy was as a person.

"He was a great athlete. He was engaged. He was involved. He was kind of a Pensacola celebrity in terms of athletics. He was a great student and had good grades," May said. "He was the profile of what you want young Black men to do: go to college, get a good education, be a good athlete. His death just stunned the community."

Clardy's parents, Ladaron and Tracey, created the Ladarius Clardy Scholarship Foundation to provide scholarship money to qualifying students to help with the cost of attending college.

Anyone who would like to donate to Clardy's scholarship fund can visit gf.me/v/c/h66j/ladarius-clardy-scholarship-foundation.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Ladarius Clardy case: Amos Snowden set for trial in teen's murder