On Wednesday, May 14^th, a Davidson County Criminal Court Jury handed down two GUILTY verdicts against 31-year-old James Ritenour, including First Degree Premeditated Murder, which carries an automatic life sentence.  Ritenour was found guilty of killing 29-year-old Alexis Douglas and wounding her 29-year-old boyfriend, Gene Fernandez in Douglas’ Donelson apartment in December of 2020 in a fit of jealous rage.

The second guilty verdict was for Premeditated Attempted First Degree Murder for the shooting of Fernandez.  Sentencing on that conviction will be in August.

Gene Fernandez took the stand in the trial, pointing out the killer in Judge Jennifer Smith’s Division IV courtroom.   Fernandez and his family, along with the relatives of Alexis Douglas were overcome with emotion following the verdict, hugging the DA’s prosecution team, lead by Assistant District Attorneys Debbie Housel and Elizabeth Huertas, as well as Victim Witness Coordinator Susan Tucker Smith.

Ritenour will begin serving his life sentence immediately.

 

 

72-year-old Defendant Tyrone Harris was found Guilty of Second-Degree Murder in the November 7, 2023, shooting death of 60-year-old Bruce Woodland.

This conviction came only after the hard work and tenacity of Assistant District Attorney Kevin Kennedy, serving as First Chair in his first ever Murder Trial as either as First or Second Chair.

Division I Team Leader General Wesley King (Second Chair) says this case was a 2023 1st degree murder charge, but later dismissed at the General Sessions level as the proof was insufficient. There were no eyewitnesses to the shooting, however witnesses and phone records placed Harris at the property at the time of the shooting.

When General Kennedy later inherited the case, he began looking into it deeper.  General Kennedy says thanks to the efforts of Metro Police Detective Kyle Eicholtz, more evidence was obtained and the case was able to move forward as a Direct Presentment to the Grand Jury.  General King said:  ‘Kevin on his own corralled numerous civilian witnesses who did not want to be involved, but he convinced them to do the right thing, which most of them ended up doing.  He not only navigated numerous pre-trial problems with the case, but dealt with many that arose during trial, including the star witness being incarcerated and unavailable to testify given his nude status in the DCSO safe room.  Kevin did all of it on his own.’

The Defendant’s final offer before trial was essentially probation only.  Instead, General Kennedy offered for him to plead open to voluntary manslaughter after day 1 of the trial and that was turned down.

The trial proved a challenge, as the state’s star witness became unavailable and a couple other witnesses either didn’t show or recanted.

But, as Team Leader Wesley King says, General Kennedy never flinched:  ‘Anyone would be expected to show nerves in their first trial, especially a murder, but you couldn’t tell with Kevin.  He was composed, prepared, and very persuasive in his closing argument.  Given the issues in the case, we knew that a voluntary manslaughter verdict would be a favorable verdict.  The jury found the Defendant guilty of Second-Degree Murder, which exceeded our expectations and which brought closure for the family, including Mr. Woodland’s daughter who was in the Courtroom when the verdict was read.  Kevin was excellent in his first trial, receiving praise from the victim’s family, the Court staff, and the defense attorney.’

ADA Kevin Kennedy gives high praise to the entire Division 1 Team, saying, ‘We relied a lot on jail calls. Those exhibits were all put together by Lili and Candice who put tons of work into that. Lili also helped a lot with the technology set up in general. She is the best.  Most of all, Wesley was incredible in how he helped me through preparing for the trial, teaching me things I needed to know, strategizing with me, answering my endless questions, etc. etc. Safe to say, he was way more than a second chair on the case.  Also my old DV team friends, especially Bethany Wohlford and Kate Snyder, were super amazing in letting me bounce ideas off them for months and supporting me on it all.’ 

 In the end, the victim’s family was extremely happy with the verdict.   Great job by Generals Kennedy and King, the entire Division I Team, and other members of our staff!

Defendant Tyrone Harris                                      Victim Bruce Woodland

Division IV Criminal Court Team Leader General Brian Ewald and Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Huertas secured a Guilty Conviction this week in the trial 73-year-old Christine Ann Roberts.   It took the jury two hours to find Roberts guilty of First-Degree Premediated Murder for the July 2023 murder of her husband, Thomas Roberts.

Roberts, a well-known and well-respected lighting technician in the music industry, was shot to death on the front porch of the couple’s East Nashville home following an alleged argument with his wife.   Domestic Violence Victim Witness Coordinator Susan Tucker-Smith did an amazing job supporting the family, many of whom traveled from out of state and even overseas.  Family members hugged each other in the Division IV Courtroom of Judge Jennifer Smith following the emotional 3-day trial.  Division IV Digital Media Specialist Derek Gray was invaluable in editing, splicing, redacting, and re-editing MNPD body worn camera footage as well as Ring camera videos to prepare them as exhibits for trial.

With the conviction, Christine Roberts received an automatic life sentence.

Following the verdict, family members took time to personally thank the Nashville District Attorney’s office and commended the hard work and dedication of Brian, Elizabeth, Susan, and Derek.

They say although the case was tragic and heart-breaking, Justice Was Served.

 

A Nashville jury convicted 28-year-old Isaiah Berkley of First-Degree Premeditated Murder for the 10-year-old cold case death of 40-year-old David Huddleston, whom prosecutors say was killed during a robbery arranged by the victim’s sister.   The conviction carries an automatic sentence of life imprisonment.   David Huddleston was shot next to his wife on their 300-acre farm in northwest Nashville in January of 2015.

Nashville Deputy District Attorney Amy Hunter said a fallout over inheritance money led Huddleston’s sister to arrange for him to be robbed.   Prosecutors argued the sister contacted Berkley, the son of one of her friends. Berkley then recruited Antonio Martin and Jaimerio Askew to carry out the robbery, according to prosecutors.  The robbery turned deadly, however, after one of the men swung open a door to the car Huddleston and his wife Talisha Huddleston were sitting in.

Much of the prosecution’s case from the Nashville DA’s office relied on testimony from Trenton Raybon, who said Berkley confessed the crime to him while they were in jail together for unrelated offenses.  The case was in the Metro Nashville Police Department’s cold case unit when Raybon came forward in 2016, Hunter said.

Martin and Askew will be tried separately from Berkley.

The Nashville-Davidson County District Attorney’s Office pushed for, and received, an increased bond for Joshua Holly this week.  He’s accused of threatening mass violence on several social media posts, as well as violence against women.  His bond went from $5,000 to $75,000.

His next court date will be next week.

https://fox17.com/news/local/da-raises-nashville-threat-suspects-bond-but-magistrate-still-lacks-access-to-records#

 

A Davidson County jury found 33-year-old Demarco Locust GUILTY of First Degree Premeditated Murder for the 2023 killing of 46-year-old Rezai Dashti.

It took the jury only 3 hours to find that Locust gunned down Dashti on Halloween, 2023, in a gas station parking lot along Harding Place after a dispute over territories related to drug sales.   Locust was arrested a month later after a brief chase by Metro police that ended near Hillsboro Pike near I-440.

Congratulations to Division VI Assistant District Attorney Luis Casas, who served as First Chair, and Deputy District Attorney Amy Hunter, serving as Second Chair for the prosecution.  Also assisting in a successful prosecution were:

Investigator Steve Turner, who had to go find a key female witness who refused to show up on the first day of the trial.

Ethan Burns from our Finance Department, responsible for last minute scrambling to make accommodations for the witness.

Victim Witness Coordinator Nikanna Bell once again was attentive, professional, and compassionate in assisting the victim’s family.

With the conviction, Locust received an automatic life sentence.  He was also convicted of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.   His Sentencing on that charge will be in May.

                  Demarco Locust

 

February 28, 2025 –

Late Friday afternoon, a Davidson County Jury convicted defendant Jatecia Lake for the April, 2021 execution style murder of Patrick Washington.   Lake was found Guilty of First Degree Premediated Murder, as well as Tampering with Evidence.  The Premediated Murder conviction carries an automatic LIFE sentence, meaning Lake will spend at least 51 years behind bars.  A sentencing hearing on the Tampering with Evidence charge will be held in April, and could result in even more time behind bars for Lake.

The Criminal Court Division VI  jury deliberated only 3 hours before coming back with their verdicts.   The victim’s family praised the work of MNPD detectives, along with the staff of the Nashville District Attorney’s office, which included a media analyst showcasing and explaining the massive amount of surveillance footage used for the prosecution.   The testimony proved that Lake shot Washington in the back of the head at point blank range while in his car in an East Nashville parking lot on April 18, 2021, then drove to Kentucky and dumped his body along I-65.  She then drove Patrick’s blood-soaked jeep back to Nashville, then ditching it on the side of the road, before walking back to her car.

The Division VI Prosecution team included Deputy District Attorney Amy Hunter, Assistant District Attorney Luis Casas, Victim Witness Coordinator Nikanna Bell, Digital Specialist Alex Pendon, and Investigator Steve Turner. 

Washington’s family says Justice was served, and they can finally have peace and celebrate their lost loved one.

Pictured Below:

                   Jatecia Lake following verdict                   Prosecution Team with Patrick Washington’s family          Hugs from the victim’s family

 

February 27, 2025-

A Davidson County Jury returned a GUILTY verdict on the charge of First Degree Premeditated Murder against 27-year-old Ralph Nevels Jr. in the 2021 killing of 23-year-old Miguel Ontiveros. 

It took the jury less than three hours to find Nevels guilty of the murder, which was reported by the media at the time as a road rage style shooting.  Excellent work by Metro Police, however, revealed that Miguel Ontiveros and the defendant were actually feuding over a woman at the time.   That feud resulted in the defendant pursuing the victim along Charlotte Avenue in West Nashville, then spraying his Hyundai Sonata with several rounds, killing the victim.  The defendant, Nevels, was later located in Mt. Juliet, TN (just east of Nashville) and arrested.

Excellent work by the Nashville District Attorney’s office to gather experts, witnesses, and even the woman the two men were feuding over, to be part of the prosecution and successful outcome.  The victim’s family was both relieved and overjoyed with the jury’s verdict, praising the work of prosecutors and the entire Nashville District Attorney’s office.   

The Criminal Court Division I Prosecution Team included Assistant District Attorneys Chantley Frazier and Derick Blakely, along with Victim Witness Coordinator Cathy Harrison, Investigator Randy Martin, and Secretary Candace Felts.  

With the conviction, Nevels received an automatic life sentence behind bars.

 

Victim: Miguel Ontiveros   A very relieved family with the Nashville Prosecution Team

 

Defendant Ralph Nevels, Jr.

Albert Mustapha was found Guilty this month in the 2017 murder of a Nashville mother and her son.   The Davidson County jury found Mustapha Guilty of TWO counts of First Degree Premediated Murder, TWO counts of First Degree Felony Murder, one count of Especially Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Burglary, and possession of a Dangerous Weapon during the Commission of a Dangerous Felony. 

Congratulations to Division I Team Leader, Assistant District Attorney Wesley King, along with Assistant District Attorney Kendall Ponchillia, and the entire Division I team on a Guilty verdict on all 7 counts in a horrible double murder case from 2017.

General King describes the details of the case:

Albert Mustapha was charged, along with co-Defendants Kendre Shields and Chasitie Smith, with murdering a young man named Osmani Munongerwa and his mother Isha Musa in their home the evening of July 22, 2017.  Mr. Munongerwa was shot multiple times in his upstairs bedroom and Ms. Musa was shot multiple times on the first floor at the foot of the stairs.  Ms. Musa had left Somalia about 20 years before and Osmani was born shortly after in Kenya.  Found in Ms. Musa’s bedroom were practice questions in anticipation of her upcoming American citizenship exam.  Four TDOC inmates were called to testify at the trial.  The trial had several unique moments, including a witness feigning a violent seizure on the witness stand and another witness who testified that he alone was responsible for the murders not Mr. Mustapha.

General King says A LOT of Praise goes out for the Teamwork to secure Justice in this case:

“Kendall Ponchillia insisted on joining the team a few days before trial and put in more work than there were hours from that point moving forward.  The amount of work she poured into the case was monumental, handling numerous key witnesses and digital presentations with very little time to prepare.  She delivered a blistering closing argument.  Division I Secretary Candice Felts took care of all the rest of our cases all week, allowing us time to focus on the complexities and challenges of this trial.   Digital Specialist Lili Wall was incredible dealing with numerous last second requests, including scrambling over to Court to assist with videos on the fly, fielding late night SOS requests, and becoming an active trial participant during closing argument.  Investigator Randy Martin was clutch in securing witnesses and evidence.  Assistant Director of Finance, Ethan Burns handled a very late request for an out-of-state witness that we had to have.  And of course, Division I Victim Witness Coordinator Cathy Harrison was absolutely wonderful with the family.  There were multiple family and community members present each day of the trial, and Cathy navigated their various needs (including Somali translators) brilliantly.  I cannot say enough about all these folks – each of them was critical in securing justice for the family.”

Mustapha was convicted in Murfreesboro last year of another count of First Degree Murder.  Automatic life sentences were imposed upon conviction in our case.  There will be a sentencing hearing in March for the Court to determine whether any of the counts will be imposed consecutively.  In conjunction with his Murfreesboro case, Mr. Mustapha could be sentenced to close to 180 – 200 years if counts are imposed consecutively.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENTIRE DIVISION 1 TEAM IN SECURING JUSTICE FOR THE DEATHS OF A MOTHER AND SON.

Albert Mustapha

Long Awaited Justice for the family of 18-year-old Brandon Adams, an 18-year-old basketball standout, gunned down seven years ago.

Facebook photos of victim Brandon Adams

Congratulations to Assistant District Attorneys Chris Buford and Lindsey Moreland,  Victim Witness Coordinator Alex Ondrus, along with Investigator Randy Martin, who helped get the evidence while Investigator Steve Turner was out.  The Division V Media Analyst, Michael Pointer, played a BIG role in making sure everything was together, as did Nick Griffin, the Division V Criminal Court Secretary who prepared the case for trial.

VWC Alex Ondrus says the family was extremely happy, as they’ve been waiting 7 years for this day.   She admits there were “a lot of happy tears, big hugs, and hallelujah’s when they heard about the verdict.   The case took an unusually long time to get to Criminal Court Trial, as the defendant was 16 years of age at the time of the murder, and had to be transferred to adult court for the eventual trial.  The year-long COVID court shutdown made the wait even harder on the victim’s family, who showed great patience and unwavering belief in the District Attorney’s office and Metro Police that Justice would come soon.  That day arrived with GUILTY verdicts earlier this month on charges of First Degree Premeditated Murder, First Degree Felony Murder, Especially Aggravated Robbery, and Aggravated Robbery with a Weapon. 

Finally, they said, Justice for Brandon.

The family told ADA’s Chris Buford and Lindsey Moreland multiple times how great of a job they did and how appreciative they have been for all their work.  The family members were super kind and patient throughout the whole week, and it was a joy to see them get a small sense of peace and justice in the face of such a devastating loss”.

Sentencing for Frazier will be April 10, 2025.

Timothy Frazier