North Richmond
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. For more than a month in the trial of Joe Blacknell III, Butts’ scratchy monotone had never wavered. Hostile witnesses interrupted him and a spirited public defender contested him at every turn. He led the jury in an examination of grisly evidence, including autopsy photos…
Editor’s Note: This is guest column provided by George Livingston Jr., a celebrity photographer and documentarian of history, culture and music in Richmond. I met Darrell Wayne Loud Sr. about five years ago, when we attended a couple of Temptation & Stone Soul picnic shows. After that, we would talk on the phone about the joy of entertainment, life and, of course, the Temptations. Darrell would travel to watch the Temptations, his all-time favorite group, and one of the most…
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 convicted on 20 out of 22 felonies with which he was charged. He was found not guilty on two counts of attempted murder stemming from the September 13, 2009, shooting of Elliot Lawson and Devonte Bernstein, who were wounded in a drive-by shooting at the…
A Richmond Police lieutenant on Thursday testified that systemic failures within the department were to blame for a botched investigation into serious crimes in the city. Lt. Charles “Chuck” Whitney testified he is friends with the seven high-ranking African American officers who are suing the city, Chief Chris Magnus and former Deputy Chief Lori Ritter, and that he was concerned about retaliation for his testimony. Whitney was called to the stand by the plaintiffs’ attorneys. The discrimination case, which has…
George Mitchell stood in front of the mic, glanced at his notes, and let fly. It’s not always easy for Richmond’s young people like Mitchell to express their feelings and their fears, especially to their peers. But Mitchell was bold, thanks in part to the supportive audience, and his poem took a frank approach to the territorial violence that has suffused his life in Richmond. “I have a dream that one day I can ride the bus to north Richmond…
After more than a month of proceedings, one of Richmond’s biggest murder trials in years is in the jury’s hands. Closing arguments Thursday painted two starkly different pictures of the evidence against Joe Blacknell III. The 21-year-old south Richmond native is accused of 22 felonies, including the March 2009 murder of rap artist Marcus Russell, and a daylong spree of shootings and carjackings six months later. Deputy District Attorney Derek Butts, who has called more than 50 witnesses since the…
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 Richmond Part 4,” a documentary produced by filmmaker Doug Harris and more than a dozen young people from the neighborhood. “This film represents the final piece,” Harris told the audience, which brimmed with civic leaders and dozens of community members seen in the film. “I…
Joe Blacknell III’s mother took the stand in his defense Wednesday, testifying that her son is a hip-hop fan and father of three, and not a violent gang member who killed one man and wounded at least four others in 2009, as police and prosecutors allege. “You guys make him out to be this,” said Celeste Sipp, in response to Deputy District Attorney Derek Butts’ questions about photos that appear to show Blacknell throwing gang signs. “I don’t know him…
In life, Rene Garcia’s youthful good looks and rugged raps made for a compelling persona, one that played out in several slickly-produced rap videos that netted thousands of clicks on YouTube.com. On Wednesday, the Facebook page for his rapping name, “Lil G,” was a memorial wall, flooded with odes and rumors of the circumstances surrounding his death. That night two teens mourned Garcia, a 25-year-old resident of Pinole, near the spot of his slaying, marked by a circle of melted…