Post by Scumhunter on Feb 11, 2015 10:53:38 GMT -5
Admin Note: Authorities ask anyone with information on this crime to contact NOPD Homicide Detective Ryan Aucoin at 504.658.5300 or Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111.
Many of us on this forum are obviously long-time AMW fans, and have seen a lot of stupid and senseless reasons for motives- such as a petty argument, or not liking the way he/she was looked at. etc... I thought I'd seen it all- but the murder fugitive Kareem Richards is accused of may be the all-time winner for stupidest motive ever. Story below:
"The Landry-Walker High student slain Monday while walking to his school bus stop was killed over an Xbox video-game controller that retails for about $40, New Orleans police said.
Detective Sgt. Nicholas Gernon, commander of NOPD's Homicide Division, could barely mask his contempt for the motive investigators said prompted suspect Kareem Richards to gun down 17-year-old neighbor Tokoyo Palmer. Richards, 19, has remained at large since Palmer's murder in the parking lot of the Forest Park Apartments in the 3700 block of Garden Oaks Drive in Algiers.
"During the course of the investigation, we were able to determine that Kareem Richards was the shooter in the case," Gernon said. "And, from a couple of different sources, we're confident in saying that this was the motive: Apparently, Tokoyo had borrowed one of Kareem's video game controllers. Kareem had repeatedly asked for it back and Tokoyo hadn't returned it. So, at that point, Kareem basically waited him out, hunted him down and looked for him that morning.
"He finally found him when the kid was walking to the bus stop, and shot and killed him. Over a video-game controller. It's almost unfathomable."
Residents of the apartment complex reported hearing four shots around 7:45 a.m., before finding Palmer laying twisted in the parking lot, bleeding from gunshot wounds to his midsection. Police said Palmer died a short time after being transported to Interim LSU Hospital.
Landry-Walker spokesman Brandon Armant said Palmer was a well-liked student, active in the school's junior-varsity basketball, choir and junior ROTC programs.
"Tokoyo Palmer was, by all accounts, a good kid," Gernon said. "He didn't have run-ins with the police. He seemed to be doing what he was supposed to be doing. He was going to school. They must have been friends at one point, to let him borrow the video game controller. And they had a falling-out over that controller.
"You see a lot of violence in this city. You see a lot of people make poor choices, and for really meaningless things. But this is just ... this is one of those things that's very tough to wrap your head around."
Gernon said the teens were not classmates - Palmer was a junior at Landry-Walker, Richards an older high-school dropout - but they lived near each other. The NOPD's violent offenders squad executed an arrest warrant Tuesday night at Richards' last known address in the 3700 block of Texas Street, but the suspect was not found. The home is one-tenth of a mile from the scene of Palmer's death.
"They were neighbors," Gernon said. "And now I've got one kid dead over a video-game controller and I've got a suspect that's on the run. Obviously, in any case, we ask the public to come forth to help us find the shooter. But especially in this case, if anybody knows where this guy's at. How dangerous is he, that he would kill somebody over something so trivial?
"We would really urge anybody that might know where he's at to please call Crimestoppers and give us the information. We need to find him, we need to take him off the street. He needs to be held accountable for what he did, for that choice he made, that killed a pretty decent kid."
Armant said Landry-Walker personnel were helping Palmer's family make funeral arrangements Tuesday. Details of the services have not been announced. A moment of silence in Palmer's honor was staged Tuesday night before the school's varsity basketball team took the court.
Gernon advised Richards to turn himself in, before anyone else is hurt or killed.
"These warrants don't go away. This warrant will be active forever," Gernon said. "The U.S. Marshals are looking for him. He's not going to have anyplace to hide. He might as well turn himself in, because we're going to continue to look for him until we find him.
"This isn't something you're going to be able to avoid."
Thoughts? I can imagine the look on Detectives' faces when they heard the motive for this crime. To say Richards has no value for human life if he allegedly kills someone over a video game controller is an understatement. Capturing him won't make this any less of a senseless tragedy, but at least he'll have to answer for what he did. So please call New Orleans Crime Stoppers if you've seen Richards. And although it hasn't been said- it's just my speculation because for a 19-year old to successfully stay hidden for weeks- he may be getting help- if he kills someone over a video game controller- you are not safe as well. He could be a ticking timebomb. If you do so much as change the channel on him, he might shoot you based on this alleged crime.
P.S. Some articles spell the victim's name as "Tokyo" while others spell it "Tokoyo." It's only spelled Tokoyo above since that's how nola.com spelled it. If anyone knows the correct spelling, please let us know.
www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2015/01/landry-walker_teen_murdered_ov.html
Admin Note: If you have any updated information on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
