- 2 days ago
The investigation of a bridal shop supervisor's violent murder leads detectives to Philly's music scene to reveal a hit list, an ultimatum, and an abusive musical mastermind.
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00:12He took me on his wing, and I said he's going to guide me.
00:14John Davis, the night manager, was this terrific guy.
00:18Somebody was lurking in the back of the van, waiting for his opportunity to strike.
00:25Who has a motive to what this person did?
00:27He is a prodigy. He is a talented musician.
00:31He had an opportunity to be in one of the best boy bands in the country or in the world.
00:36Boys to men become very successful, and this causes some resentment.
00:41That is when everything turns.
00:43She tells us that the attack on John Davis was part of a contract
00:49where they had agreed with one another to kill five individuals.
00:54She was a black widow. She was a narcissistic woman that just wanted to eliminate men.
00:58He said to her, one down, four to go.
01:21The music scene in Philly has a long history and has influenced many musicians over the years.
01:26When a local talent hits it big, the whole city celebrates the win.
01:32But sometimes, artists make headlines for all the wrong reasons.
01:36Like in 2001, when a murder turned the Philly music scene on its head.
01:49About a week before Christmas, at the David's Bridal Warehouse in White Marsh Township,
01:55one of the employees opening up the building in the morning comes to the parking lot
02:02and sees the night manager's van parked there.
02:05The engine is running, and that struck him as unusual.
02:10He thinks he's asleep.
02:12So he's banging on the window with no response.
02:17And then he opens the door, and he can see that there's blood everywhere.
02:23And then calls 911.
02:28White Marsh Police get onto the scene.
02:31They see that the person that is still in the van, their foot is still on the brake.
02:36But they can see that the victim has been dead for a couple of hours.
02:44Montgomery County homicide detectives are notified, and now a joint investigation commences.
02:51When the detectives arrive, they set up a perimeter so that there would be no entry anywhere near that van.
02:59There are certain things that they can notice by just quickly looking.
03:03There's a gunshot wound to the back of the head from relatively close range
03:07that looked like the shooter was in the van behind him in the back seat.
03:14The first thing you think about is, was this a robbery?
03:18But he has his wallet, the van is still there, and he has $700 in cash in his pocket.
03:24So it's unlikely that's a robbery.
03:27When the man who was coming to open the warehouse tells the police positively,
03:32this is my colleague, John Davis,
03:34and we, of course, get the identification from his wallet,
03:38matches up to the photograph on his driver's license,
03:40there's no question that it was John Davis.
03:45After confirming John Davis' identity,
03:48the forensic unit examines the inside of his van.
03:52The forensic people take photographs of everything
03:55and then begin to collect hairs, fibers, blood, DNA, things of that nature.
04:01The van itself is clean, except for where the blood was located.
04:06We know that killers frequently leave behind forensic evidence,
04:10so we're looking for fingerprints, and there weren't any.
04:15It was very unusual.
04:17That tells us that the crime scene was wiped down
04:19with a specific intent to keep us from finding forensic evidence.
04:26Police officers realize that this seems very personal.
04:30The gunshot wound to the back of his head
04:32implies that somebody was lurking in the back of the van,
04:35really waiting for his opportunity to strike.
04:42We were asking the owners of the warehouse,
04:45is there any surveillance video or anything of that nature?
04:49Mind you, this is 2001, so there wasn't.
04:52We were kind of operating in the blind here.
04:57Naturally, the first thing that we look for is the motive.
05:01We want to know who this person is,
05:03who was the last person to see him alive,
05:05and then who has a motive to want this person dead.
05:09Asking around his workplace,
05:12detectives are able to piece together a timeline of John's final hours.
05:16There was a fellow that he worked with, Mr. Woodson,
05:18that was the last person to see John alive.
05:24When I first met John Davis,
05:26when I applied for Davis Bridal Distribution,
05:29when I came in, he saw me, and he said,
05:32you're a tall guy.
05:33That's what we need, some tall guys with long arms around here.
05:35He thought I was a motivated guy,
05:38so he took me on his wing,
05:39and he said he was going to guide me in.
05:41He was more like a father figure.
05:42He was older than me at the time.
05:43He was training me on life, work, and being a parent.
05:56December the 17th was brisk.
05:58It was cold.
05:59I was in there doing my PM duties,
06:01getting the, you know, cleaning up,
06:02making sure everything organized.
06:04John in the back,
06:05I see him back on his desk on the phone.
06:07He's talking.
06:08He said, give me a minute.
06:11Mr. Woodson told police
06:13that there's some snafu with setting the alarm,
06:16but they eventually get the alarm set.
06:18They left about 9, 9.05.
06:22They're conferring in the parking lot.
06:27He was like, man, love you, dude.
06:28Gave me a hug.
06:29He said, have a good night.
06:31As I'm backing up,
06:32I see him getting in the car.
06:33I see the door shut.
06:36I backs up.
06:37I'm proceeding to leave the lot.
06:39I see his light,
06:39so I'm thinking he cool.
06:42I leave.
06:42I go home.
06:43I got in the shower,
06:45and me and my lady was in bed.
06:48Next morning,
06:49when they came to me
06:50and told me what happened,
06:51I was like, how?
06:52I just left him.
06:53It's no way in the world, man.
06:56Being the last person to see John alive,
06:59police want to confirm Woodson's whereabouts.
07:01His girlfriend is able to verify
07:03he was home all night.
07:05We and John never had no issues,
07:07and I just was there
07:08for a short amount of time,
07:10and I was doing good,
07:11and me and John had good report.
07:13We talked to people
07:14that were working with him
07:15at David's Brile,
07:16and we asked,
07:17is there some motive work-related?
07:21But what we got was
07:22a composite of this terrific guy.
07:29I would describe John Davis
07:30as a life-changing individual,
07:33and personalities
07:34is off the charts.
07:36Very enthusiastic person.
07:39At work,
07:39if it was a boring moment,
07:41not when he was in the area,
07:42he was very good at team building
07:45and motivating people
07:46to feel like they can overachieve,
07:48even if they didn't have it in them.
07:51John was a very community-orientated person,
07:55very involved with development,
07:56youth development,
07:57doing community service
07:58at different YMCA's
08:00in the Philadelphia area.
08:01He said he loved everybody
08:02because he always seen potential
08:03in people that they didn't even
08:04see potential in themselves.
08:07Comes somebody after work,
08:08we go sit in and have a beer,
08:09whatever, a quick beer.
08:10He spoke highly of his family
08:11seven days a week.
08:14After speaking with John's colleagues,
08:16detectives want to contact
08:17his loved ones
08:18to notify them of his death.
08:24Cops speak to the owner
08:25of the distribution warehouse
08:27and they're able to get his home address
08:28where they're able to speak
08:30to his current girlfriend,
08:32Tamara Walls.
08:33And she is devastated.
08:37One of the things we try to do
08:38is create a timeline.
08:40We asked her, you know,
08:41where were you?
08:42And she was at a friend's house
08:44and when did you last talk with John?
08:46I called him that night.
08:52She does tell police officers
08:54that she spoke with him
08:56from her friend's house
08:57and police were able to verify this.
09:01That was done with a cell phone.
09:02We were able to determine
09:03that at about 9.40 p.m.,
09:06that's when that call was made.
09:08So that fit in with the time frame
09:11for when he had set the alarm.
09:14John's girlfriend then tells detectives
09:16that the start of their relationship
09:17was less than ideal.
09:20She lets them know
09:21that John was in a previous relationship
09:24when they got together
09:25with a woman named Kimberly,
09:27John's ex-wife.
09:30They did meet at the time
09:31where him and Kimberly
09:32were still married,
09:33but John decided to leave Kimberly
09:35and be with Tamara.
09:36And according to Tamara,
09:37it was a little messy.
09:40She says the divorce
09:41from Kimberly Williams
09:43was very contentious
09:44and perhaps she wanted to hurt him.
09:48John had just recently decided
09:49that he was going to marry Ms. Wells.
09:52So we thought that maybe
09:53that would create a motive
09:54for the jilted wife to kill him.
10:01Coming up...
10:02Investigators realize
10:04that she has a prior record
10:05and they connect her
10:07to a firefighter
10:08who was recently shot in Philadelphia.
10:10His story sounds eerily similar
10:12to what happened to John Davis.
10:15Heaven knows the serial killer
10:17in training
10:18what he would have done
10:19had we not been able
10:20to move as rapidly as we did.
10:32The day after John Davis
10:33was shot to death
10:34in the parking lot
10:35of his workplace,
10:36detectives set out
10:37to talk to his ex-wife.
10:40It sounded as though
10:41the ex-wife,
10:42who also had children
10:44with John,
10:45would have a motive
10:47to want John dead
10:48because he had left her.
10:51Cops are beginning to wonder,
10:52was this a complicated
10:54love triangle?
10:55So they wanted to speak
10:57to Kimberly Williams
10:58to see if they had
10:59any leads there.
11:03We don't go in there
11:05assuming that she's the person,
11:06but we want to find out
11:08whether that motive
11:09is something
11:10that she might have acted upon.
11:15So police officers
11:16get to Kimberly Williams' house
11:18and they're surprised
11:19to find out
11:19they had an amical breakup.
11:23They were not resentful.
11:26He was still continuing
11:27to take care of the kids
11:28that he had
11:29in that relationship
11:30and she has no idea
11:32who would want to do
11:33something like this.
11:35There was not the vitriol,
11:38not the anger,
11:39not the attitude
11:40that detectives expected
11:43she would have
11:43if she really were involved
11:45in the killing.
11:48Kimberly Williams
11:49was at work that night.
11:50She says that her kids
11:52were being watched
11:52by her mother,
11:53that after she finished
11:55with work,
11:55she came home.
11:57We were able to verify
11:58all these things
11:59not only with talking
12:00with the mother
12:01and with her,
12:01but with telephone records
12:03and the like.
12:06Homicide investigation
12:07is a process
12:08of elimination.
12:09So even when we eliminate
12:11the ex-wife
12:13and the current girlfriend,
12:15that's advancing the ball
12:16because those are people
12:17who are out.
12:19As detectives map out
12:21their next move,
12:23John's body
12:24is taken for autopsy.
12:26The autopsy
12:27on John Davis
12:29was December 18th,
12:31a few hours after the body
12:32had been found
12:33and processed.
12:34We were reasonably certain
12:36that he'd been shot
12:37before midnight,
12:38December 17th,
12:39because he was
12:39exhibiting rigor mortis,
12:40which is something
12:41that takes several hours
12:42to come on.
12:45He was a victim
12:46of a homicidal gunshot
12:47and all the bullets
12:48that struck him
12:49stayed in.
12:52As we expected,
12:53Dr. Hood told us
12:54that John Davis
12:55had been shot
12:56in the back of the head,
12:57but also,
12:58Dr. Hood discovered
12:59two additional bullet holes
13:01in John's torso,
13:02which we did not know
13:04of at the time.
13:06All three bullets
13:07were retrieved
13:09and they all
13:10appeared to be the same.
13:13The ballistics experts
13:15gave us the information
13:16that was obvious to him
13:17that they were 38s
13:18and that they
13:19had fired from
13:20a .38 revolver
13:22and the same one.
13:23This, of course,
13:24becomes very important
13:26in our case.
13:29But for Dr. Hood,
13:31there is something
13:32about the pattern
13:33of John's wounds
13:34that is not adding up.
13:36Why do we have
13:37an execution-style wound
13:39in the back of the head
13:39and then these two
13:41rather unusual wounds
13:42that are shot into him
13:43at very different angles
13:44in the back and the chest?
13:46All three bullets
13:47were identified
13:49as having been fired
13:50from the same weapon.
13:52So now we have somebody
13:53who's shot
13:54from three different directions
13:57with the same gun
13:58or if there's two shooters,
14:00it means that they've used
14:01one gun,
14:02which only adds
14:03another layer of weirdness
14:04to this case.
14:08Realizing that there are now
14:09two possible killers
14:10on the loose,
14:11detectives expand their search
14:13to come up with a lead.
14:14We realize that
14:15this personal connection
14:17must be outside
14:19John's immediate group,
14:20so we wanted to find out
14:22if there was anything more
14:24we could learn
14:25from the employees
14:26that John worked with
14:27at the warehouse.
14:33Going back to people
14:34we've already interviewed
14:35is not uncommon.
14:36In the moments
14:37after a traumatic event,
14:38people's memories
14:39can be affected,
14:41so a second
14:41or even a third
14:42conversation with them
14:44can bring up new details.
14:48Detectives speak
14:48with Robert Woodson,
14:50John Davis' co-worker,
14:52and he does recall
14:53a conversation
14:54at the end
14:55of the dinner shift.
14:59So I got his phone
15:00in his hand texting,
15:01and I said,
15:01John, what's up, man?
15:02Why you, you know,
15:03what's going on?
15:03Why you got that look
15:04on your face like that?
15:05What's going on?
15:05He said,
15:06nothing, just got a call
15:07from the chick I used to do
15:08and she wanted to meet up
15:08with me,
15:09but I'm a little skeptical, man,
15:10because I ain't seen
15:10this girl in a minute.
15:12He said they had
15:13a sexual relationship
15:14at one time.
15:15John thought that
15:16she wanted to meet up
15:17to rekindle
15:18or try to go out,
15:20but he was very apprehensive
15:21about meeting her.
15:23Mr. Woodson
15:24told the police
15:25that none of this
15:26would have stuck
15:27in his mind
15:28but for the fact
15:29that John expressed fear
15:31and then said,
15:32I wonder if I'm being set up.
15:36But Mr. Woodson
15:37didn't know who that was.
15:38He only knew
15:39I was a former employee.
15:41I had no name.
15:42I had no familiarity
15:43with what I'd ever seen her.
15:44I stint at Davis Brothers
15:45before I even got hired.
15:48John had a work line
15:49that had voicemail on it,
15:51so the IT people
15:52at David's Bridal
15:53were able to get us
15:54the information
15:55from John's work phone,
15:58get the recordings
15:59from the voicemails,
16:00and we did get a hit.
16:05Hey, John,
16:06I'm calling you,
16:07letting you know
16:08I'll be up here
16:09at 9.30.
16:26Detectives investigating
16:27the murder of John Davis
16:28have discovered
16:29a voicemail
16:29on his work phone.
16:30The message is from a woman
16:32and was left hours
16:33before Davis was killed.
16:34For investigators,
16:36this is the first
16:37big break in the case.
16:47It became important
16:49to us to figure out
16:50who this woman was
16:51that John was supposed
16:52to meet that night.
16:54So we talked
16:55with other people
16:56who worked there,
16:57and this employee
16:58remembered a specific incident
17:01where this Vernell girl
17:03left work.
17:04She left in her own car.
17:07Around 5 and around 6.30,
17:09a man drove up
17:10in the same car
17:11and asked to speak
17:13with Davis.
17:14The boyfriend
17:15had come there
17:16and said,
17:17stay away from my girl.
17:20So there was no fireworks
17:23or anything,
17:23then the boyfriend leaves.
17:26The co-worker's account
17:28feels like a promising lead.
17:30But there is one problem.
17:33They don't know
17:34if Vernell is a name,
17:36if it's a nickname.
17:37This is not
17:38a David's Bridal store,
17:39which would typically
17:40have about 8 to 10 employees.
17:42This is a warehouse.
17:43There's hundreds
17:44and hundreds of employees
17:45that work there.
17:46So detectives
17:47have a lot of names
17:47to go through.
17:50While one team
17:51of investigators
17:52pours over
17:52the employee records,
17:54another focuses
17:55on John Davis' phone.
17:57Police have this phone number
17:59and they find
18:00that it goes
18:00to an insurance company
18:02in King of Prussia.
18:04So White Marsh detectives
18:06show up
18:06and try to find out
18:07where does this number
18:08lead them to.
18:10A woman does come forward
18:12and she says,
18:12hey, this is my extension,
18:14but I did not make the call.
18:16But I can tell you who did.
18:19She allowed a person
18:21named Vernell Jones
18:22to use her extension
18:24that she made
18:25several phone calls,
18:26one of which
18:27she overheard her telling
18:28a person
18:29that she would meet them
18:30that evening
18:31between 9.30
18:33and 10 o'clock.
18:34Then she heard Vernell say,
18:37don't tell anybody
18:38I'm coming
18:39or words to that effect.
18:41She also then witnessed
18:42or overheard Vernell
18:44get off the phone
18:45and immediately make
18:46a phone call
18:47to her boyfriend
18:47and says,
18:48I'm going up there
18:49and I'm going to meet with him.
18:53Well, by this point,
18:54Vernell Jones is now
18:55somebody that we're
18:57very interested in.
18:58So we wanted to get
18:59a background on her.
19:01This is when we discover
19:03that Vernell Jones
19:04was in the Philadelphia
19:06music scene
19:07and had been a singer
19:08for years,
19:10part of a locally
19:12well-known group
19:13called Surprise.
19:18they reach out to her.
19:20They ask her to come down
19:21to the station,
19:22but she doesn't come alone.
19:23She brings her boyfriend
19:24slash manager,
19:26Kenneth Vernell.
19:30It's not unusual
19:31for people to bring someone
19:33to the police station
19:34with them
19:34while they're being questioned,
19:35but they're thinking
19:37in the back of their head,
19:38this could be
19:39a love triangle
19:40and what does
19:41Berno have to do with it?
19:45We make the decision
19:46to go ahead
19:47and interview
19:47Vernell Jones
19:49with him there.
19:51She says that,
19:53yes,
19:53she worked at David's bridal
19:55and that she was
19:57friendly with John Davis,
19:59dating on and off
20:00casually,
20:01and that she had made
20:02calls
20:03and set up a meeting
20:05for after work
20:06on the 17th of December
20:08to have a drink with him.
20:11She admitted that
20:12she tried to make
20:13her boyfriend,
20:14Kenneth Vernell,
20:15jealous
20:16and did set up
20:17a meeting to meet
20:18with John Davis
20:19but that she chickened
20:20out in the end.
20:22Kenny's acting
20:23all sympathetic,
20:24squeezing her hand
20:24and whatnot,
20:25but he actually
20:26was kind of in the way
20:30and was making it
20:32more difficult
20:32for us to do our job.
20:34He seemed to be
20:34more interested
20:35in the details
20:36of the crime
20:37than we think
20:38somebody who's just
20:39there for moral support
20:40ought to be.
20:41He put himself
20:42into the mix
20:44and put himself
20:44on our radar.
20:47Vernell's alibi
20:48is that she was
20:48with Kenneth
20:49and the only time
20:50that she was not
20:52with Kenneth
20:52was for about a period
20:53of a half an hour
20:54but that she didn't
20:56go anywhere.
20:57Detectives are beginning
20:58to feel that
20:59there's something
21:00suspicious going on
21:01with Vernell
21:02but they can't keep her
21:04because they don't
21:04have any evidence.
21:11Vernell Jones
21:12is now somebody
21:14that we're very
21:14interested in.
21:15so we went
21:16and talked
21:17with her sisters
21:18and her family.
21:20We wanted
21:21to ascertain
21:22whether Vernell Jones
21:24had been violent
21:24in the past
21:25toward any other
21:26boyfriends.
21:28So when we spoke
21:30with her family
21:31and friends
21:32they gave us
21:32a list of various
21:33relationships
21:34with other men
21:35in the past
21:35one of whom
21:36was Ronald Humphrey
21:38who was a
21:40Philadelphia fireman
21:41who worked
21:42next door
21:43to where she lived.
21:46Investigators
21:46are now talking
21:47to Ronald Humphrey
21:49and they've discovered
21:50that between
21:50July of 2001
21:52and August
21:53Humphrey had a
21:54relationship
21:55with Vernell Jones.
21:59We're trying
22:00to find out
22:00was she violent
22:01in any way
22:02toward him
22:04just for background
22:06information
22:06and when we
22:07asked him
22:11he said
22:12that bitch
22:13shot me
22:13which was a
22:15you know
22:16quite a surprise
22:17to us.
22:27It's been
22:28four days
22:29since John Davis
22:30was found
22:30shot to death
22:31and detectives
22:32prime suspect
22:33is his former
22:33lover
22:34Vernell Jones.
22:36Now they're
22:36learning that
22:37she shot
22:37another one
22:38of her exes.
22:40Could be
22:40a coincidence
22:41but detectives
22:43rarely believe
22:43in coincidences.
22:46On December
22:4821st 2001
22:49our detectives
22:51interviewed
22:52Ronald Humphrey
22:53and he tells
22:55us that
22:56Vernell Jones
22:57the previous
22:58October
22:58had shot
22:59him.
23:03Between July
23:05of 2001
23:06and August
23:07Humphrey
23:08had a sexual
23:08relationship
23:09with Vernell Jones
23:11but Kenneth
23:12Burnow gets
23:13wind of it
23:14and comes
23:14to the fire
23:15station
23:15and confronts
23:16him
23:17in front
23:17of everyone.
23:19After that
23:20Humphrey
23:21had no contact
23:22with Vernell Jones
23:23until October
23:24and that's
23:25when she called
23:26him out
23:26of the blue
23:29saying that
23:29she wants
23:30to hook up
23:30and finally
23:32he agrees
23:33to meet
23:33with her.
23:36There was
23:37a specifically
23:38arranged date
23:39by her
23:40which is
23:40of great
23:41significance.
23:42They buy
23:43some beer
23:43and then
23:44they drive
23:45to a secluded
23:46area in
23:47Fairmont Park
23:47which is
23:48in Philadelphia.
23:50It turns
23:51into a sexual
23:53encounter.
23:54She performs
23:55oral sex
23:56on him
23:57and he thinks
23:58that it's
23:59going to go
23:59further.
24:00Vernell Jones
24:01according to the
24:02fireman
24:02says she has
24:03to go to the
24:04bathroom
24:04as she gets
24:05out of the
24:06fireman's truck.
24:09She leaves
24:10the truck
24:10he goes
24:11to the
24:11backseat
24:12of the
24:12truck
24:12anticipating
24:13that they're
24:13going to
24:14have sex.
24:17She opens
24:18the door
24:19with a
24:20silver
24:20revolver
24:22fires a
24:23shot right
24:23at him
24:25hits him
24:26in the
24:26right upper
24:27arm.
24:29The Philadelphia
24:30Police Department
24:31investigated the
24:32shooting incident.
24:33At that time
24:34Ron doesn't
24:35tell them
24:36that it was
24:36Vernell
24:37that shot
24:37him
24:37because he
24:38was in
24:38a relationship
24:38with someone
24:39else but
24:40his story
24:41sounds eerily
24:42similar to
24:43what happened
24:43to John
24:44Davis.
24:48The conversation
24:49with Ronald
24:50Humphrey is
24:51of critical
24:52importance because
24:52we have his
24:53eyewitness testimony
24:54that it was
24:55a silver
24:56revolver.
24:57We know
24:58from the
24:58three bullets
24:59we took
24:59out of
25:00John Davis
25:03that they
25:05came from
25:05a revolver.
25:09Philadelphia
25:10police were
25:11able to
25:11turn that
25:12bullet that
25:13they had dug
25:14out of the
25:14truck over
25:15to our
25:15expert
25:16and compare
25:17that to
25:17the three
25:17bullets that
25:18came out
25:18of John
25:19Davis.
25:21With all
25:22signs pointing
25:22to Vernell's
25:23involvement in
25:24both shootings
25:26detectives go
25:26back to her
25:27family to
25:28understand why
25:29she would
25:29want two
25:30men dead.
25:34Vernell Jones
25:35was 32
25:35years old
25:36at the time
25:36of this
25:36crime.
25:38Her
25:39sisters used
25:40to perform
25:40all the time
25:42and after
25:43a while
25:43they formed
25:43a girl group
25:44called
25:45Surprise.
25:46Vernell was
25:47the lead singer
25:47of Surprise
25:48and she was
25:49going to
25:50become really
25:50the talent.
25:54Vernell really
25:55wanted to
25:56pursue music
25:56but the gigs
25:58were not
25:58coming often
25:59enough.
26:00So she had to
26:01work a nine to
26:02five at the
26:02bridal warehouse.
26:04As the group
26:05was getting
26:06better and
26:07better and
26:08getting more
26:08and more
26:09opportunities to
26:09play, her
26:10hours at the
26:11bridal warehouse
26:12were getting
26:13in the way
26:14and it was
26:15the habitual
26:16missing of
26:16work that
26:17led to her
26:17firing earlier
26:18that year.
26:21Kenneth
26:22Vernell was
26:22a manager
26:23of musicians
26:24and he
26:25meets this
26:25charismatic,
26:27very attractive,
26:28talented woman
26:29Vernell Jones
26:30and he
26:31decides I'm
26:32going to
26:32make her
26:33star.
26:34But Kenneth
26:35Vernell is
26:36somewhat of
26:36a celebrity
26:37himself.
26:39I'm Lamar
26:41Vernell,
26:41youngest brother
26:42of Kenneth
26:42Vernell Jr.
26:44At an early
26:45age he
26:46had a gift.
26:48Kenny
26:48entered into
26:49creative and
26:50performing arts
26:51high school
26:52and the
26:53choir picked
26:54certain members
26:55to be part
26:56of a group
26:57called Unique
26:57Attractions
26:58and they
26:59would go to
26:59churches all
27:00around Philadelphia
27:01singing,
27:02making the name
27:02for themselves
27:04and they
27:06sang for
27:06Michael
27:06Bivens
27:07and that's
27:08what made
27:09history because
27:10he enjoyed
27:11the sound
27:12and changed
27:13their name
27:13to Boyz II Men.
27:16When it came
27:17right down to
27:17the contract
27:18time,
27:19he found out
27:19his girlfriend
27:20was pregnant
27:20and decided
27:21to let go
27:22of show business.
27:24Kenny was
27:24okay with it
27:25because he was
27:26in college.
27:26No one ever
27:27knows how long
27:28your singing
27:29career will last
27:30but if you
27:32go to college
27:33and get a
27:33degree,
27:34you have
27:34something to
27:35fall back
27:35on.
27:36So that
27:37was his
27:37focus.
27:39Boyz II Men
27:40become very
27:40successful,
27:41selling over
27:4260 million
27:43albums.
27:46And this
27:46causes some
27:47resentment
27:47in Kenny.
27:49There's
27:50always some
27:50regret but
27:52Kenny said
27:53well look,
27:54it was their
27:54time.
27:55It was just
27:55their time.
27:56I'm not
27:57going to say
27:57he wasn't
27:58hurt.
27:58He never
27:59took his
28:00hurt to
28:01a point
28:01that it
28:03destroyed
28:04anyone else.
28:09Berno
28:09decided I
28:10still want
28:10to be a
28:11music but
28:12he decided
28:12to be in
28:13a different
28:13capacity.
28:14He decided
28:14to contribute
28:16to somebody
28:17else's stardom
28:17and that
28:18was the
28:18stardom
28:19of Vernell
28:19Jones.
28:21When Kenny
28:22met Vernell,
28:27that changed
28:28Kenny.
28:30She was a
28:31different type
28:31of woman.
28:32Vernell wasn't
28:33his only artist,
28:33she was just
28:34the main
28:35artist that
28:36he was
28:36working with.
28:37Vernell had
28:38the potential
28:39that he saw
28:41that he could
28:41help her
28:42grow and
28:43she just
28:44thought he
28:44just was
28:45the king
28:46of music.
28:47At this
28:48time,
28:48Kenny's
28:49still
28:49married.
28:50But I
28:51would always
28:51see Kenny
28:52taking care
28:53of Vernell
28:54financially.
28:55I would
28:56see Vernell
28:57acting like
28:59she was
29:01his queen.
29:04After a
29:05while,
29:05his marriage
29:06is dwindling.
29:06It eventually
29:07ends.
29:08Then,
29:10Kenny
29:10and Vernell
29:11do have a
29:11tumultuous
29:12five-year
29:12relationship.
29:19friends and
29:20family often
29:20provide us
29:21with background
29:21info on a
29:22suspect,
29:23but that
29:24doesn't always
29:24give us a
29:25motive.
29:25As detectives
29:26work out the
29:27why in a
29:28case,
29:28physical evidence
29:29can help us
29:30figure out
29:30the how.
29:32Ballistics
29:33take the
29:33bullet taken
29:34out of
29:34Humphrey's
29:35truck and
29:35see if
29:36there's
29:36anything
29:36consistent
29:37with the
29:38bullets that
29:38they've
29:39already
29:39recovered
29:39from
29:40John
29:40Davis's
29:41injuries.
29:42And lo
29:43and behold,
29:44they find
29:44out that
29:46it is the
29:46same type
29:48of bullet
29:48and the
29:49same type
29:49of casing
29:50shot from
29:51the same
29:51gun.
29:52This is a
29:53huge break
29:54in the
29:54case.
29:55That links
29:56the killing
29:57of John
29:58Davis to
29:59the wounding
30:00of Mr.
30:01Humphrey,
30:01the fireman.
30:03And the
30:03linchpin,
30:04the thing that
30:05connects the
30:05two of them,
30:06is
30:06Vernell
30:07Jones.
30:20Ballistic
30:20testing has
30:21linked the
30:21same gun
30:22and bullets
30:22to both
30:23John Davis
30:23and Ron
30:24Humphrey's
30:25shootings.
30:26Since
30:27Ron Humphrey
30:28has already
30:28confirmed that
30:29Vernell Jones
30:30was his
30:30shooter,
30:31authorities are
30:32ready to
30:32make an
30:32arrest.
30:35It is two
30:36days before
30:36Christmas,
30:37and police
30:38believe they
30:38have their
30:39woman.
30:40They go
30:40get Vernell
30:41Jones,
30:42and they
30:42find her
30:43at Kenneth
30:43Burnow's
30:44house.
30:45She is
30:46charged with
30:46conspiracy
30:47and third-degree
30:48murder.
30:50She is taken
30:51to Montgomery
30:52County Jail,
30:53and she
30:53continues to
30:54deny that
30:55she has
30:55any connection
30:56with John
30:57Davis'
30:57death.
31:01The
31:02community's
31:02reaction to
31:03Vernell's
31:04arrest is
31:05shock,
31:06and the
31:06press goes
31:07wild.
31:09The only
31:09thing I know
31:10about her is
31:10from what I
31:10heard on the
31:11news.
31:11I just heard
31:12that she was a
31:13black widow.
31:14She was a
31:15narcissistic woman
31:16that just wanted
31:16to eliminate
31:17men.
31:22Vernell's already
31:22in jail for the
31:23murder of John
31:24Davis, and on
31:24January 10,
31:262002, the
31:27Philadelphia
31:28Police Department
31:29had the charge
31:30of aggravated
31:31assault for the
31:32October shooting
31:33of Ronald
31:34Humphrey.
31:38Despite
31:38having physical
31:39evidence to
31:40connect Vernell
31:40to both cases,
31:42the Ronald
31:42Humphrey shooting
31:43will be pursued
31:44first in the
31:44courts.
31:45We now know
31:47we have a
31:47guaranteed strong
31:49case against
31:50Vernell Jones
31:51for the wounding
31:52of the fireman
31:53because he's
31:53still alive and
31:54can tell us
31:55what happened.
31:56When Vernell
31:58got locked up,
31:59Kenny was
32:00shocked.
32:01He started
32:02calling different
32:03lawyers to see
32:04if they would
32:04take her case.
32:07So, initially,
32:08detectives saw
32:09the relationship
32:10between Vernell
32:11and Kenny
32:12as a loving
32:13relationship.
32:14He would
32:14encourage her.
32:16But then they
32:17began to wonder
32:19if this relationship
32:20was more,
32:21was he guiding
32:23her?
32:23Was he coaching
32:24her?
32:25Was he putting
32:25words in her
32:26mouth?
32:26Was he telling
32:27her what she
32:28should say to
32:29the police
32:29officers?
32:31We all think
32:32that Kenny
32:32Burnow is a
32:33conspirator,
32:34if not a
32:34killer.
32:35So now the
32:36goal is how
32:37are we going
32:37to gather the
32:38evidence to
32:39prove that?
32:43that?
32:44My assessment
32:44was that
32:45Vernell Jones
32:46was flaky
32:47and I was
32:49absolutely sure
32:49that Kenny
32:51Burnow would
32:51not pay
32:53enough attention
32:54to her while
32:54she's locked
32:55up.
32:58Initially,
32:59when she's
33:00in prison,
33:01Kenny Burnow
33:02is visiting her,
33:03writing to her,
33:04calling her.
33:05Well,
33:05those visits
33:06and calls
33:07and letters
33:08get fewer
33:09and fewer
33:09until eventually
33:11they stop.
33:13And
33:13Vernell Jones
33:14is getting
33:15visits from
33:16her family
33:17and they're
33:17saying,
33:17you know,
33:18Kenny's out
33:18there and
33:19he's dating
33:19other girls
33:20and he's
33:21getting away
33:22with this.
33:23We know
33:24that the
33:25pressure is
33:26working on
33:26her and that
33:27would eventually
33:28work its way
33:29to the point
33:29where she's
33:30not going
33:30to go down
33:31by herself.
33:34But
33:35Vernell remains
33:36silent.
33:37This goes on
33:38for eight months
33:39until August
33:39of 2002
33:40when her trial
33:42for the shooting
33:42of Ron Humphrey
33:43is about to begin.
33:45Vernell Jones
33:46realizes she's
33:48all alone.
33:49She realizes
33:50she has no one
33:50to support her.
33:51She realizes
33:52she has been
33:53holding the truth
33:54all along
33:56and then
33:57that is when
33:58everything turns.
34:03August 21st,
34:042002,
34:06she decides
34:07to take
34:07a plea bargain
34:08in Ronald
34:08Humphrey's case.
34:10She pleads
34:11to aggravated
34:12assault
34:13and she gets
34:1310 years
34:14behind bars.
34:16And as a part
34:17of her plea bargain
34:18she begins
34:18to talk.
34:20She wants
34:21to get out
34:22from underneath
34:22the possibility
34:23of a mandatory
34:24life sentence
34:25for the murder
34:26of John Davis
34:27and we want
34:27to know
34:28what involvement
34:30Kenny Burnow
34:31may have had
34:31in the murder.
34:33So we set up
34:34the meeting
34:35and what she told
34:36us was far
34:37in excess
34:38of what we
34:39had anticipated.
34:43Vernell proceeds
34:45to tell them
34:46that her boyfriend
34:47of five years
34:48has been abusive.
34:52He was possessive
34:53and very much
34:54a part
34:54of everything
34:55that she was
34:56doing.
34:57I never saw
34:59Kenny hit her.
35:00There's not
35:01one police report
35:02about him
35:02abusing her.
35:04My theory
35:05is she had
35:06to create
35:06that backstory
35:07because
35:08Vernell couldn't
35:09handle Kenny
35:11seeing other women.
35:13Vernell said
35:14that she wasn't
35:15allowed to have
35:15a pager.
35:16She was only
35:17allowed to use
35:17a cell phone
35:18that he paid
35:19for that was
35:20in his name
35:21so he can keep
35:21track of the records.
35:25Vernell Jones
35:25also was required
35:27to hand over
35:27every check
35:28that she made
35:29so all of her money
35:30was going to
35:31Berno
35:32so she didn't
35:33even have
35:33her own money
35:34to take care
35:35of her own family.
35:37He went from
35:38being relatively
35:39normal
35:40to obsessed
35:41with Vernell Jones.
35:45He was crazy
35:47jealous
35:47and even threatened
35:49some of the people
35:50that she had
35:50relationships with
35:51previously.
35:55Vernell tells
35:56detectives
35:57the relationship
35:58hit a fever pitch
35:59in the summer
35:59of 2001
36:00when Kenny
36:01accused her
36:02of having
36:03a sexual relationship
36:04with his cousin.
36:06He's beating
36:07on her
36:07he's being
36:09emotionally
36:09and verbally
36:10abusive
36:10and she's scared
36:12so she goes
36:13along with
36:14whatever he says.
36:15So Kenny
36:16required her
36:16to write down
36:17the men
36:18that he thought
36:19she had a sexual
36:20relationship with.
36:21there were five
36:23of them
36:23and then
36:25Berno gave
36:26Vernell an ultimatum
36:27either you
36:28kill these five guys
36:29or our relationship
36:31is over.
36:33She tells us
36:35that the attack
36:36on John Davis
36:37was part of
36:39the manifestation
36:40of a contract
36:43where they had agreed
36:45with one another
36:46in writing
36:47to kill five individuals.
36:58Montgomery County detectives
37:00are all ears
37:00as Vernell Jones
37:01reveals her list
37:02of past lovers
37:03and the reason
37:05Kenneth Berno
37:05was making her
37:06target them.
37:09Kenny creates
37:10this hit list
37:11because he feels
37:12like this is the only
37:13way for Vernell
37:14to show her
37:15allegiance to him.
37:16They agreed to kill
37:17Larry Tucker
37:18a former co-worker
37:19Ronald Humphrey
37:21the firefighter
37:22John Davis
37:23and two of
37:24Berno's cousins.
37:25She has to kill
37:26the first name
37:27on the list
37:27and that first name
37:30is Ronald Humphrey.
37:33Vernell told
37:34investigators
37:35she was terrified
37:36because not only
37:38did Berno
37:39drive her
37:40to the scene
37:40of where she was
37:41supposed to
37:42kill Ronald Humphrey
37:43he was hanging
37:45in the background
37:45in the car
37:46waiting for her
37:47to do it.
37:50She was so nervous
37:52she couldn't even
37:52fire a straight shot.
37:54When she shot him
37:56Mr. Humphrey
37:56he didn't go down
37:58like it's on TV
37:59and that frightens her
38:00and she runs off
38:02well that infuriates
38:04Kenny
38:05so they decide
38:07that the next person
38:08they're going to kill
38:08is John
38:09and they'll come back
38:10to Ronald Humphrey
38:11and this time
38:12Kenny's going to
38:12fire the fatal shot
38:13because she's
38:14an incompetent
38:15marksman.
38:19So on the night
38:21of the murder
38:21they're waiting
38:22for John Davis
38:23when he comes out
38:24somehow Kenny
38:26has gotten in the
38:26back of the van
38:28and she's hiding
38:30in the shadows.
38:32When John Davis
38:33and Vernel
38:33returned to the van
38:36Kenny Verno
38:37fired the shot
38:38in his head
38:40and as another
38:42gruesome act
38:43of allegiance
38:44required Vernel
38:46to fire two shots
38:47into his body
38:48from the same gun.
38:51she was terrified
38:52she was upset
38:53he was happy
38:55and joyful
38:56and then said
38:57to her
38:58one down
38:59four to go.
39:04Detectives know
39:05Vernel's word
39:05isn't enough
39:06to build a case
39:07against Kenny
39:07Verno.
39:09The detectives
39:10wanted to see
39:11Kenny
39:11they wanted to
39:12ask him questions.
39:13Kenny
39:14showed up
39:15at the
39:15Montgomery County
39:16District Attorney's
39:17office
39:17with his lawyer
39:19and instead
39:20of answering
39:20direct questions
39:21he's getting
39:23kind of
39:23you know
39:24smart with
39:25these detectives
39:26but he didn't
39:27like that.
39:29So we got
39:30search warrant
39:31for Kenny's
39:32place
39:32and we find
39:34the address
39:34of a man
39:35in Atlanta
39:36Georgia
39:36who was
39:38on the contract
39:39list.
39:39That man
39:40was Larry Tucker.
39:41We called him
39:42we were able
39:43to corroborate
39:44what Vernel
39:45had told us.
39:45We also
39:47have the
39:47fireman's
39:48eyewitness
39:48testimony
39:49and we
39:50could corroborate
39:52that Kenny
39:52came to the
39:53workplace of
39:54John Davis
39:55and Ronald
39:56Humphreys
39:56so I thought
39:57circumstantially
39:58we had enough.
40:02December 17,
40:042002
40:05a year to the
40:07date of when
40:08John Davis
40:08was found dead
40:09Kenneth Burnow
40:11was charged
40:12with criminal
40:12conspiracy
40:13and first
40:14degree murder.
40:15The very next
40:16day Vernel
40:17Jones decides
40:18to take a
40:19plea deal
40:20and agree
40:21to third
40:22degree murder
40:22and conspiracy
40:23and to testify
40:24against her
40:25ex-boyfriend
40:26Kenneth Burnow.
40:31I won't say
40:32the entire case
40:32against Kenny
40:33Burnow rests
40:34on what Vernel
40:35says but a
40:36great deal of it
40:37and the strongest
40:39pieces of evidence
40:40are all of the
40:41things that she
40:42testified about
40:43her victimhood
40:44at the hands
40:45of Kenny
40:46Burnow.
40:47They help
40:48to explain
40:49her conduct.
40:50That's very
40:51impactful
40:52to a jury.
40:55When Vernel
40:56was being
40:57cross-examined
40:58he said
40:59did you shoot
41:00John Davis?
41:01She said
41:02yes
41:03but I know
41:04Kenny
41:04took the fatal
41:05shot.
41:08I know
41:09Kenny's
41:09innocent because
41:11I know
41:11he's not
41:12going to take
41:12a man's
41:12life
41:14but I know
41:15Vernel
41:15is guilty
41:16because she
41:16confessed to
41:17being guilty.
41:20The jury
41:21sees things
41:22differently
41:22and finds
41:23Kenneth Burnow
41:24guilty of
41:24conspiracy
41:25and first-degree
41:26murder
41:26in the killing
41:27of John Davis.
41:28He is sentenced
41:29to life in prison.
41:31For her part
41:32Vernel Jones
41:33is given a
41:33reduced sentence
41:34of 17 to 35 years.
41:38When he was
41:39found guilty
41:41it was a shock
41:42to all of us.
41:44The family
41:45was hurt.
41:46Our thoughts
41:47and prayers
41:48go to the
41:49victims
41:51but the
41:52judicial system
41:53has failed
41:54my brother.
41:56I have some
41:58sympathy for
41:58Vernel Jones
41:59because women
42:00can be forced
42:02to do things
42:02that they
42:03otherwise
42:03wouldn't do.
42:04She was
42:05ultimately paroled
42:06to try to
42:07rehabilitate her
42:08life in 2018.
42:19The great man
42:20is gone
42:20so I think
42:21that on all
42:22areas
42:22everybody's
42:22suffering.
42:24They took
42:25a well-respected
42:26man away
42:26from us
42:27and honestly
42:29I think
42:30that they got
42:30what they
42:30deserved.
42:33God knew
42:33John was good.
42:35John I love
42:35you man
42:36I know
42:36you're in
42:37a better
42:37place man
42:38and I know
42:38you right
42:39now
42:39you're sitting
42:39at the
42:40center table
42:41up in heaven.
42:41I know
42:43you're in
42:44you're in
42:44hamburgers
42:45in
42:45lived
42:45zur
42:45I know
42:45and I
42:48you're in
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