Carjacking suspect pleads to second-degree murder
The shooter in a Warren carjacking slaying has pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in a deal for him to receive a 25-year sentence.
Anthony Deandre Walker, 26, of Warren, on Tuesday entered pleas to second-degree murder, armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in front of Judge Julie Gatti in Macomb County Circuit Court for the 2019 shooting death of Danny Richards, 23.
In exchange for the pleas, four other charges, including first-degree felony murder and carjacking, will be dismissed at the sentencing in an agreement between the defense and prosecution.
Walker would receive a term of 23 years for the murder charge and two years for felony firearm.
Richards’ mother remotely attended the plea hearing via video and said the family agrees with the outcome.
Walker can withdraw the plea if Gatti disagrees with the deal, but the judge said: “With the blessing of the family, I don’t anticipate there will be any problems with that.”
The case involving Walker’s co-defendant, Deonte T. Rice, 29, of Detroit, has not been resolved. Rice is charged with felony murder, carjacking and armed robbery and faces a March 9 pretrial in front of Gatti.
Gatti scheduled Walker’s sentencing for Tuesday, March 30 to be held remotely and shown on youtube.com. However, Richards’ family can request for the hearing to be held in person. In that case, Gatti said the sentencing date would have to be moved to a Friday.
Walker shot Richards two or three times with a .380 handgun in the chest about 11 p.m. Sept. 1, 2019 during a carjacking in the parking lot of a Taco Bell eatery on Eight Mile Road near Ryan Road.
The suspects arrived in a tan SUV, police said, and Richards was in the front passenger seat of a 2005 Mercedes. Rice pulled the driver from the car and took his Rolex watch and neck chain, Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Steve Fox said.
Police said Richards managed to enter the nearby vehicle of his sister, who had followed him and his friend to go to a party. Richards was taken to a local hospital where he died, according to police.
Rice drove away in the SUV and Walker drove the Mercedes, which was found an hour later burned out on Sherwood Street near Seven Mile Road in Detroit, Fox said.
Warren police used surveillance video to identify the suspects and garnered evidence from cell phones and items collected from a search warrant to arrest the suspects the next day, Fox said.
Police at the time also indicated they identified the suspects the next day via the Rolex watch that was sold to a local pawn shop. A few hours later, the second culprit was taken into custody on Continental Avenue in Warren, police said.
Both men confessed to police, Fox added.
Walker can withdraw the plea if Gatti disagrees with the deal, but the judge said: “With the blessing of the family, I don’t anticipate there will be any problems with that.”