Three of five alleged ‘Insane Crips’ go to trial in Columbus slaying at Wilson Homes
Two of five alleged “Insane Crips” gang members won’t be in a Columbus courtroom this week as their cohorts go to trial in a South Carolina man’s fatal 2021 shooting.
That’s because authorities don’t know where one of them is, and the other will testify for the prosecution, so her case will be decided separately.
That leaves three defendants to face a jury in the death of 21-year-old Marcel Samedi of Rock Hill, S.C., who was gunned down June 5, 2021, outside Wilson Homes, a housing complex at 3400 Eighth Ave.
On trial are:
Corey Troupe Jr., 26, represented by law partners William Kendrick and Mark Shelnutt.
Davion C. Dupas, 22, represented by Adam Deaver.
Jahiem Rashard Davis, 21, represented by Shawn Hoover.
Besides murder, a 52-count indictment charges them with multiple violations of Georgia’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, which makes it an additional offense to commit crimes to further the interests of a gang or improve one’s standing in it.
The three were in court Monday with their attorneys to begin jury selection in the trial that’s expected to last two weeks before visiting Senior Superior Court Judge Richard Winegarden.
Winegarden is handling the caseload formerly assigned to Columbus Judge Ron Mullins, who retired at the end of January. Gov. Brian Kemp has yet to appoint Mullins’ replacement.
The prosecutors are Thomas Kegley and McKenzie Gray with the Georgia Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit. They took the case because Columbus’ district attorney once represented one of the suspects.
One gone, one severed
One of the two defendants who won’t be on trial is Michael Douglas Brown Sr., 48, whom investigators have been unable to track down.
“He has not been located as of today’s date,” Kegley told Winegarden, adding that Brown, of Villa Rica, Georgia, at times has been reported to be in Florida or California.
The other defendant who won’t be on trial is Elysia Cooley, 19. She was only 16 years old when Samedi was killed, and her defense attorney in 2021 was Stacey Jackson.
Jackson was appointed district attorney here in May 2022, creating a conflict of interest for his office, in Cooley’s case.
Cooley’s attorney now is Anthony Johnson, who had her case severed from the others. Kegley said Cooley is to testify for the prosecution.
The shooting
During preliminary court hearings in 2021, police Sgt. Donna Baker testified video surveillance at Wilson Homes recorded Troupe, Cooley, Samedi and others arriving at the apartments in two cars to attend a birthday party outside Building 108.
That’s where cameras recorded muzzle flashes as the shooting started, Baker said. The footage showed the suspects run back to their cars and flee, leaving Samedi dying on the ground, she said.
She testified that like Samedi, Troupe is from Rock Hill, and Troupe was among four people who came with Samedi to Columbus for the celebration.
Police called to the shooting at 9:47 p.m. found 13 shell casings, 12 of them identified as 9 millimeter, Baker said. Investigators recovered no weapons, she said.
Police have not said why alleged gang members would target Samedi.
The charges
According to the attorney general’s office, the Insane Crips comprise a subset of the Crips national street gang.
The affiliate gang started in Long Beach, California, and has offshoots such as the Young Foundation Crew and Young Demon Crew, the attorney general said.
Here are the charges for the three suspects going to trial, as detailed in their October 2022 indictment:
Troupe, also known as “Lil Pop”:
6 counts of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
2 counts of felony murder.
1 count of aggravated assault.
1 count of using a firearm to commit a felony.
1 count of first-degree criminal damage to property.
Dupas, also known as “Yungdemon Dee”:
6 counts of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. 2 counts of felony murder. 1 count of aggravated assault. 1 count of using a firearm to commit a felony. 1 count of first-degree criminal damage to property.
Jahiem Davis, also known as “Zhg Jah”:
8 counts of Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
3 counts of felony murder.
1 count of aggravated assault.
1 count of using a firearm to commit a felony.
1 count of being a convicted felon with a firearm.
1 count of first-degree criminal damage to property.
Cooley was charged with the same offenses as Troupe and Dupas, but Brown had no murder or assault charges.
He was indicted only on four counts of violating the Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
Here are the maximum penalties for the offenses:
Felony murder - life in prison without parole.
Street gang act - 20 years in prison. Aggravated assault - 20 years. First-degree criminal damage to property - 10 years. Using a firearm to commit a felony - five years. Being a convicted felon with a firearm - five years.
