Crips gang member found guilty in killing of rival from Bloods
Wrong-colored clothes led to '06 16th St. shooting
Sue Lindsay, Rocky Mountain News
Published January 31, 2007 at midnight
Jerome Martin is dead because he went to a hip-hop club wearing a wrong-colored shirt, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday.
Now the gang member convicted of gunning him down will be sentenced March 19.
Lamar Blackwell was found guilty late Tuesday of first-degree murder and menacing in Martin's fatal shooting in a 16th Street Mall parking lot in April of 2006.
Prosecutors said Blackwell shot Martin because Martin disrespected Blackwell's Crips gang, stepped on Blackwell's shoes and was wearing a red or maroon shirt associated with the rival Bloods gang.
"The color of (Martin's) hat and shirt is why he lost his life," prosecutor Joe Morales said.
Martin, 22, was shot repeatedly in the back after leaving a hip- hop party at Club Beyond on April 5.
"He shoots bullet after bullet after bullet into the back of Jerome Martin, like a coward," Morales said during closing arguments in Denver District Court.
The jury deliberated about three hours.
Cleus Williams, who was with Blackwell at the club, testified during the trial that Blackwell, 29, was offended by the shirt Martin wore.
Blackwell told Williams that he was going to "merc this fool," meaning he was going to kill Martin, Morales said. They followed Williams out of the club and Blackwell fired at least seven shots at Martin, witnesses said.
Williams claimed he just fired a couple of shots into the air.
The pair then fled in Blackwell's Chevrolet Suburban, leading police on a high-speed chase.
The pursuit ended when Blackwell crashed his car into a police cruiser. The two were arrested after a short foot chase.
Defense attorney Wilbur Smith said the fact that Blackwell fled the scene doesn't mean he is guilty.
"Was he running scared or was he running guilty?" he asked in closing arguments.
The defense contended that a third unknown person was involved in the shooting and that Williams blamed Blackwell to save himself.
Williams pleaded guilty to menacing in a plea bargain that required him to testify at Blackwell's murder trial.
Prosecutors conceded that Williams lied to police at first.
"The code of the Crip gang is so strong he has no choice but to try and help (Blackwell)," Morales said.
Prosecutors said Blackwell shot a .40-caliber gun that night that matched two slugs found in Martin's body.
"There is no evidence that anyone but the defendant committed this horrible, senseless act of murder," Morales said.
lindsays@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5181
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