A Douglas County jury on Tuesday couldn’t reach a verdict in the trial for a teen charged in the shooting death of a Lawrence boy. They’ll return Wednesday and take more time to deliberate.
Derrick D. Reed, 18, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kamarjay Shaw, 14. The shooting took place nearly a year ago, on the evening of March 18, 2023, near Reed’s home. Reed, who was 17 years old at the time, was tried as an adult, and Douglas County District Judge Sally Pokorny previously ruled that he could not claim self-defense.
Testimony in the trial began last Wednesday, and both the state and defense rested their cases on Monday. The jury, made up of eight women and four men who largely appear to be white, deliberated for about half an hour Monday and all day Tuesday. Around 5 p.m., they asked the judge if they could stay until 6 p.m. to keep going, but they left around 5:35.
Jurors asked to hear a witness’s testimony read back to them. The witness is a neighbor of Reed’s who testified Monday that she was watching the street from her house’s front windows when she saw someone — not Reed — holding a gun before she heard two shots.
They also asked to review surveillance images on the bigger screen in the courtroom. Still images from video footage shown in court Wednesday depict a person holding an object in their right hand while on the driver’s side of Reed’s blue Chrysler. The person is wearing all black clothing and comes into frame on the driver’s side. As the images progress, the person looks to be getting inside the car.
Prosecutors told jurors they could acquit Reed or convict him of one of five charges:
• First-degree murder, meaning Reed planned and intended to kill Kamarjay or one of the boys who was with him;
• Second-degree murder, meaning Reed intended to kill but did not plan to;
• Reckless second-degree murder, meaning Reed showed “extreme indifference” to human life;
• Voluntary manslaughter, meaning Reed knowingly killed after a sudden quarrel; or
• Involuntary manslaughter, meaning Reed had acted recklessly and killed.
Jurors are tasked with coming to a unanimous verdict. They can find Reed guilty of murder in the first degree or one of the four lesser charges, or they could acquit him entirely. If jurors cannot agree on a verdict, the case would likely result in a mistrial.
Three alternate jurors are on standby in the event that one of the jurors is unable to fulfill their duty.
Read more about the case in the links below.
All arrestees and defendants in criminal cases should be presumed not guilty unless and until they are convicted.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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