Norristown teen held for trial for alleged role in robbery that ended in fatal shooting

NORRISTOWN — A Norristown teenager was must answer to charges in Montgomery County Court that he allegedly participated with three others in the robbery of another man who was fatally shot during the encounter.

Justin Lyaire Davis, 16, of the 300 block of East Brown Street, was held for trial, after a preliminary hearing on Friday before District Court Judge Todd N. Barnes, on charges of first- and second-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit murder and robbery in connection with the alleged Jan. 20, 2024, robbery and fatal shooting of William Carter in the unit block of West Wood Street in Norristown.

During the brief hearing, Davis, through his lawyer James Patrick Lyons, stipulated to information contained in the affidavit of probable cause. Barnes found there was sufficient evidence contained in the affidavit to move Davis’ case to trial.

Davis is being held without bail pending trial. Davis now faces a formal arraignment hearing on the charges in county court later this year, after which a judge will set his trial date.

Davis was charged as an adult because of the violent nature of the alleged offense.

County prosecutors Meghan Carney and Jediah Grobstein are handling the case.

Three others previously were charged in connection with the alleged robbery and fatal shooting.

Damon Brantley Jr., 18, of the 1000 block of West Beech Street, Norristown, Daquan Tyrone Allen, 29, of the 500 block of Norris Street, Norristown, and Jerry Lamar Butler, 29, of the 500 block of East Clarkson Avenue, Philadelphia, each are awaiting March 8 preliminary hearings before Barnes on murder and robbery charges.

Allen, Butler and Brantley were extradited to Montgomery County from Endicott, N.Y., where they were apprehended two weeks ago by the U.S. Marshals Service.

In court documents, detectives identified Brantley as the triggerman. Brantley was 17 at the time of the alleged Jan. 20 robbery and killing but turned 18 seven days later.

All four males are charged under accomplice liability theories.

A fifth person, Katherine Lynn Emel, 29, who was Carter’s girlfriend at the time, also was charged with second-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and robbery in connection with the incident. With those charges, detectives alleged Emel, of the unit block of Richardson Street, Plymouth Township, told one of the robbers that the victim had recently won $3,000 while gambling and provided information regarding the victim’s whereabouts on the night he was killed. Emel is awaiting a preliminary hearing on the charges.

The investigation began about 7:53 p.m. Jan. 20 when Norristown police responded to the report of shots fired at West Wood and Powell streets. Arriving officers found Carter, 35, dead on the sidewalk on the west side of West Wood Street, according to the criminal complaint filed by county Detective John Wittenberger and Norristown Detective Stephen Sowell.

Carter suffered a gunshot wound to the head and authorities determined the fatal shooting occurred at 7:49 p.m., according to court documents.

Investigators found three 9mm fired cartridge casings and determined Carter possessed only a set of keys but no money and no cellphone.

The investigation determined Carter had left a nearby residence to get some money out of a white Buick LeSabre.

Detectives obtained video surveillance footage that depicted Carter leave the Buick, and as he crossed the street, three males, Brantley, Butler and Davis, exited a gray Toyota RAV-4 and robbed Carter, detectives alleged.

The fourth male, Allen, remained in the driver’s seat of the Toyota, according to court papers.

After the three suspects robbed Carter, one of the assailants, Brantley, allegedly pointed a firearm at Carter and fired three rounds from a distance of about three-feet, and one of the rounds struck Carter in the head, according to the criminal complaint.

“The succession of the three gunshots was so fast that detectives believed the firearm had an illegal ‘switch’ installed, enabling the firearm to operate in automatic fashion,” Wittenberger and Sowell alleged. “In addition, it is obvious this firearm is equipped with an extended magazine.”

After Brantley, Butler and Davis got into the RAV-4, Allen, the alleged driver, then fled the area, traveling west on West Wood Street.

Detectives used surveillance footage to develop photographs of the suspects which were released to the media and helped lead to the identification and apprehension of the suspects.

Court documents indicate detectives also uncovered a photograph of Brantley attending a basketball game at Norristown High School between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Jan. 20 during which he was wearing clothing that was consistent with the clothing the alleged shooter was wearing later that night when Carter was fatally shot.

On Jan. 21, authorities discovered the RAV-4 getaway vehicle was set ablaze with an accelerant and destroyed by fire and authorities alleged Brantley is responsible for torching the vehicle.

Detectives subsequently determined the Buick vehicle that Carter was driving on the night he was killed belonged to Emel, his girlfriend, who had placed a GPS tracking device in the vehicle’s trunk, according to the arrest affidavit.

An analysis of cellphone records, interviews of witnesses and through other investigative techniques detectives learned that Emel had communicated with co-defendant Allen multiple times before Carter’s robbery and murder, telling Allen that Carter had recently won $3,000 gambling, according to court documents.

Emel allegedly told Allen about Carter’s “daily agenda” and provided the location where Carter was going to be on the evening of Jan. 20, according to court documents.

Following the alleged murder, video surveillance from a business on North Broad Street in Philadelphia, depicted Emel and Allen meeting between 9:31 and 9:48 p.m., where Allen gave $700 to Emel, according to the arrest affidavit.