'I was trying to finish the job': Gunman in murder-for-hire trial describes killing Makeva Jenkins

WEST PALM BEACH — Joevan Joseph described the moment he fired the shot that killed Makeva Jenkins as she slept in her bed.

As Joseph made his way up the stairs in a Lantana-area home early the morning of June 29, 2017, Euri Jenkins motioned his head in the direction of one of the bedrooms, Joseph said Monday morning as he testified in Jenkins' murder trial.

Joseph made his way to the bedroom, where he saw a figure lying in the bed. Determining that it was the woman Euri Jenkins hired him kill, Joseph told jurors he aimed his gun.

"I was couple of feet away, I aimed the gun at her head and I shot her," Joseph said.

"Why did you shoot her in the head?" Palm Beach County Chief Assistant State Attorney Adrienne Ellis asked.

"Because I was trying to finish the job," Joseph replied.

Joseph's testimony came on the third day of trial for Euri Jenkins, whom authorities say hired a hitman to kill his wife so that could collect on a life insurance policy of which he mistakenly believed he was a beneficiary.

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Joseph pleaded guilty in 2019 to second-degree murder in the woman's death. In exchange for the lesser charge, Joseph agreed to cooperate with the state's case against Euri Jenkins. Joseph is awaiting sentencing and faces five to 20 years in prison.

Dametri Dale, who authorities say acted as the go-between for Joseph and Jenkins, also testified on the behalf of the state after negotiating a manslaughter plea in November. Dale testified last week that Jenkins approached him about hiring someone to kill his wife, Makeva.

Dale said he introduced Jenkins to Joseph, who carried out the attack. On Joseph's first day of testimony, he described how he and the other men began "brainstorming" ideas of how to kill Makeva. They discussedtargeting her at work or staging an attack to make it look as though both Makeva and her husband were targets, Joseph said.

Joseph told jurors that Jenkins agreed to pay him $20,000 to kill Makeva, giving him $10,000 up front.

On Monday, as Joseph described his actions on the morning Makeva was shot, Ellis asked him whether he searched the home or attempted to remove any valuables from the residence.

"That's not what I was there for," Joseph replied.

Joseph said he dressed in all black and wrapped a shirt over his face to conceal his identity.

Defense attorney Cyrus Toufanian questioned Joseph's credibility, noting text messages Joseph sent to Dale asking for money in the days after Jenkins purportedly paid him.

Victim's brother warned after courtroom confrontation with Euri Jenkins

Joseph's testimony was followed by a tense moment as prosecutors called Makeva Jenkins' brother, Marquavious Greer, to testify. As Greer entered the courtroom, he walked toward the defense table where Euri Jenkins was seated before being stopped by Sheriff's deputies.

Greer shouted obscenities at Jenkins before being taken out of the courtroom. Circuit Court Judge Kirk Volker sent jurors outside and conferred with the attorneys.

Volker allowed Greer to re-enter, accompanied to the witness stand by deputies. The judge admonished Greer for his behavior and warned him to avoid additional outbursts. He instructed the jury to ignore the incident.

On the witness stand, Greer testified that he lived with his sister and brother-in-law and the couple's three young children for about 18 months. He said the couple appeared to have a happy marriage and kept disagreements between them private.

Greer told jurors that on that fatal day, he was receiving a haircut from Euri Jenkins in the early morning hours when a masked gunman entered the home. Green said the gunman demanded money and forced him, Euri Jenkins and Dale to go upstairs.

Greer said the gunman asked for his and Makeva's mother, a request he though was odd as their mother had not visited the home for in a long time. He said Dale asked the gunman to let him take a child away from the area. The gunman agreed and then forced Greer back downstairs at gunpoint, Greer said.

Greer said the man demanded car keys, which Dale provided. The gunman then forced Greer back upstairs, where Euri Jenkins remained standing in the same place, Greer said.

The gunman forced Greer and Euri Jenkins to the ground and then walked toward Makeva's room, Greer said.

"I see him walking into the bedroom," Greer said. "I heard the gun go off."

jwhigham@pbpost.com

@JuliusWhigham

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Gunman testifies about killing Makeva Jenkins in murder-for-hire case