Keithandre Murray Guilty of Murder
By Debbie Gregory
A Lebanon man, who was a co-defendant in a Macon County double homicide, was convicted of two counts of first degree premeditated murder last Friday by a jury in the Macon County Criminal Court.
Keithandre Murray, age 24, was found guilty of the shooting deaths of 32-year-old Alisha Renee Mondoni and 44-year-old James Turner on the New Harmony Road, in Macon County, on February 11, 2017.
A trial date hasn’t been set at this time for the other co-defendant Rodney Garrett, of Antioch.
The two shooting victims were discovered in a car over two years ago, at the New Harmony Road residence by a neighbor who called 911. Officers from the Macon County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and the TBI was also called in to assist with the investigation.
The investigation led to the arrests of Keithandre Murray, of Lebanon, and Rodney Garrett, of Antioch, a few days later. The two suspects were each indicted by the Macon County Grand Jury on charges of 1st degree murder-premeditated, criminal attempt to commit aggravated robbery and felony murder.
According to Assistant District Attorney General Javin Cripps, the state dismissed the aggravated robbery and felony murder charges before the trial started and went forward with the premeditated murder charges.
The guilty verdict came after a week long trial that began on April 29th with the jury selection, followed by the testimonies of several witnesses and closing arguments on Friday morning, May 3rd.
Three and a half days of testimony in the trial, showed that at one time Keithandre Murray had lived with James Turner. However, it was learned that Murray didn’t know the female victim. With charges pending on the other co-defendant, ADA Javin Cripps said more details about witness testimonies can’t be disclosed at this time.
The jury deliberated for three hours before returning the guilty verdict, to presiding Judge Brody Kane. Keithandre Murray will be sentenced on June 20th.