Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
Treja Kelley was asked to take the stand against the man who had killed her cousin. After she helped the state secure a guilty verdict, a $5,000 bounty was placed on her head. A few months after she testified, Kelley was shot and killed. She was 18 years old, and she was pregnant.
The man who is accused of killing her, Kevarian Rogers, allegedly bragged about “nailing the girl” who testified against somebody. Rogers is now facing first-degree murder charges for the death of the young woman.
Social Media Posts Will be Used to Convict Him
Kevarian Rogers will likely spend the rest of life behind bars not just for shooting Treja Kelley, but for shooting his mouth off and then posting it all over social media. If you do not know this already, then it is important to understand. Your social media posts are not safe from the authorities. They could subpoena anything they want to from Facebook in a criminal investigation.
In this case, they found Rogers fanning himself with $100 dollar bills and showing off his expensive new shoes that prosecutors say he purchased after killing Kelley. This coupled with the fact that prosecutors will likely produce a witness who overheard Rogers bragging about killing Kelley is useful circumstantial evidence for the prosecution. There is also a witness to the attack who was walking with Kelly when Rogers allegedly approached her and fired.
Rogers also told police that he knew who Kelley was and he knew that there had been a price put on her head. But he stopped short of confessing to the slaying.
Who Was Treja Kelley?
At only 18 years old, Treja Kelley had seen a lot. This included Deonte Davis firing a gun at her cousin and killing him. The state asked Kelley to finger Davis for the crime and, though initially reluctant, she found the courage to do it. A bounty was then placed on her head and she was executed.
Davis will likely be named as a codefendant for ordering and arranging the hit against Kelley. Authorities appear to have Davis on the phone discussing the matter with a second conspirator. Davis was under the impression that he would be awarded a new trial on appeal and that, if Kelley was allowed to testify again, he would likely be convicted again. Davis believed that taking Kelley out was the only way to win his second trial.
Authorities have yet to supply Davis’ attorney with the full transcript of the telephone call he made allegedly placing a hit on Kelley. Davis’ attorney told Davis that Kelley’s testimony was unreliable and could potentially be used in his favor if there was a second trial.
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Today
If you are facing serious charges in the Chicago area, you should call criminal defense attorney David Freidberg at (312) 560-7100 immediately to protect your rights and preserve your interests.
