Two Men Convicted of Murdering Victim While He Shoveled Snow in JP

Print More
Scene of fatal shooting at 891 Centre St., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2105.

Chris Helms

Scene of fatal shooting at 891 Centre St., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2105.

Two men were convicted on Nov. 30 for a brazen daylight murder in 2015 of a rival gang member while he shoveled snow in Jamaica Plain for a non-profit company crew.

Scene of fatal shooting at 891 Centre St., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2105.

Chris Helms

Scene of fatal shooting at 891 Centre St., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015.

Donte Henley, 26, and Josiah Zachery, 20, were convicted of second-degree murder of Kenny Lamour, 21, which occurred by the rotary that connects the Arborway and Centre Street. Zachary was also convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon for shooting at, but not hitting, a Boston Police officer who pursued him during a foot chase.

Both defendants could face life terms when Judge Peter Lauriat sentences them on Dec. 4.

Lamour and Henley were both part of a snow-shoveling crew organized by a non-profit agency that knew both men were affiliated with rival gangs. Each man had told a crew supervisor that they were okay with working on the crew together.

But phone records showed that Henley plotted to murder Lamour from text messages he exchanged with Zachery. Henley actually told Zachery to come to the work site, to bring a gun, and told him where Lamour would be and what he was wearing.

Around 10:35 am on Feb. 11, 2015, Zachery opened fire on Lamour, hitting him once in the head and continued to fire. Zachery fled on foot, and as a Boston Police officer pursued him, he fired at the officer.

"The defendants acted in concert, as a team, to commit murder without any provocation,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley. “The jury’s verdict reflects their joint participation and I hope Mr. Lamour’s family can take some satisfaction that both men will now be held accountable.”

Boston Police were able to locate Zachery on Centre Street carrying a black and yellow shovel wearing sneakers, no gloves and no jacket. A local resident told police that his black and yellow shovel had been stolen. Police found a black jacket in a nearby yard that matched witness descriptions of the jacket worn by the gunman. There were also shoe prints in the snow matching Zachery's sneakers. Several witnesses identified Zachery as having the same build and clothing as the shooter, except without the black jacket he wore during the time of the shooting.

During the investigation in the coming days police were able to implicate Henley as a key participant in the murder and he was arrested on Feb. 26, 2015.

Click here for more Jamaica Plain News coverage about this shooting.

2,997 Views