Tag Archives: Crime

blacknell, melson, russell

Blacknell sentenced to life without parole for 2009 crime spree

Joe “Fatter” Blacknell III was sentenced to life in prison plus more than 200 years without possibility of parole for the March 2009 murder of an up-and-coming East Bay rap artist and a September 2009...
joe fatter blacknell

Jailhouse interview with Joe ‘Fatter’ Blacknell, who faces life in prison for ’09 slaying

How do you say hello to a convicted murderer? The thought darted through my head as I strode through the Martinez Courthouse jail facility’s winding corridors of concrete and steel. In moments I would be...
gene grisby

Accused takes stand in trial of killing of Gene Deshawn Grisby-Bell

For Tyris Franklin, the rest of his life could depend on what was going through his 16-year-old mind when he shot Gene Deshawn Grisby-Bell four times, killing the unarmed student-athlete. “I don’t remember what happened,”...
lonnie peterson north richmond shooting

Questions swirl around flap between ONS and sheriff at scene of North Richmond shooting

The day after Tuesday’s shooting in unincorporated North Richmond left a 22-year-old man dying on the sidewalk, a city anti-violence agency filed a complain tagainst a Contra Costa Sheriff’s deputy, accusing him of assaulting one...
devone boggan jim rogers

Richmond councilman and agency at odds, city manager and others in between

The Office of Neighborhood Safety is in the spotlight at City Hall again, and growing unrest between the agency and its critics threatens to engulf much of the city’s government and hamper larger goals of...
Prosecutor Derek Butts proved to the jury that a 2009 crime spree occurred in part as an intersection between the lives of, from left to right, Joe Blacknell III, Sean Melson, Marcus Russell.

Prosecutor reflects on trial, conviction of Joe ‘Fatter’ Blacknell in Richmond gang case

As the jury’s deliberation dragged into a second week, the pressure mounted. Always unflappable in the courtroom, prosecuting attorney Derek Butts nevertheless found himself wracked with inner anxiety. “Those two weeks were brutal,” Butts said....
Joe blacknell marcus russell

Blacknell convicted in murder of Marcus Russell, other counts

Joe Blacknell III was found guilty Thursday of 20 felony counts, including the first degree murder of Marcus Russell in 2009. Jurors reached their decision after more than eight days of deliberations. Blacknell, 21, was...
doug harris annie king meredith john gioia

Premiere of part 4 in North Richmond film saga draws crowd

North Richmond is unique, and it’s a place with heart. That was the undeniable theme Wednesday night, as about 200 people packed City Council chambers for the premiere of “An Exploration of Our History, North...
Joe Blacknell, right, has pleaded innocent to 22 felony charges, including murder.

Blacknell defense opens case, focuses on science and inconsistent witnesses

On the first day of witness testimony for the defense, public defender Diana Garrido spent several hours focused on what may be the prosecution’s biggest weaknesses in its case against Joe Blacknell III: shaky witnesses...
joe blacknell III

Despite intense interrogation, Blacknell’s story consistent

The burly detective turned up the intensity, sometimes yelling in a bass-heavy bellow, cursing frequently. His partner chipped in some grim facts—she reminded the 18-year-old suspect about the prospects of a lifetime behind bars. And...
joseph blacknell and marcus russell

Eyewitness struggles to recall Blacknell at scene of carjacking in Richmond case

One witness didn’t show, two were several hours late, and the most pivotal one had a foggy memory. On the fifth day of testimony in one of the most anticipated criminal cases coming out of...