Hekeryin Cain, accused with another man of two homicides last month in Pine Bluff, was ordered held without bail on a charge of capital murder for a second time in connection with the shooting deaths of two Pine Bluff men on Sept. 3 of this year. Cain, 23, appeared before District Court Judge John Kearney Tuesday morning for a second probable cause hearing in connection with the shooting deaths of Emonya Moten, 17, and Kevon Mitchell, 20, in two separate shootings 20 minutes apart.
A third man, identified as Cedric LaPoole, 23, was shot and wounded at the same time as Moten and survived the encounter.
Police reports indicated that Moten and LaPoole were shot shortly after 4:30 p.m. in front of a residence at 1704 S. Elm St. and that Mitchell was shot just before 5 p.m. while sitting on the porch of his residence at 25 Needles Drive, about 2 miles away.
Those homicides, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jill Reed told Kearney, were believed to have been acts of retaliation for the shooting death earlier that day of Horace Harrington, 69, who was shot to death while sitting in his carport at his 3101 Lilac St. residence.
Cain was already charged with capital murder in one homicide, that of Moten, and was already jailed without bail following a probable cause hearing on Sept. 8 in Kearney's courtroom and charged with one count each of capital murder and attempted capital murder. As the investigation continued to unfold, police began searching for another Pine Bluff man, identified as Bryant Smith, 33, who was apprehended Sept. 25 by Kansas authorities after he fled the state. Smith was returned to Pine Bluff on Sept. 29.
With the help of witness statements and security video recorded at the scene of the Mitchell homicide, police concluded that Cain and Smith were responsible for both homicides.
Smith was arraigned before District Judge Kim Bridgforth on Oct. 1 where a list of 18 felony charges against him, including two counts of capital murder and one count of attempted capital murder, were read in court.
Deputy Prosecutor Jill Reed told Kearney that, because Cain had been in court previously in connection with one homicide, and was now in court with added charges, she would provide a brief overview.
"I can't remember if you were the judge or not, but it's quite complicated," Reed said, before launching into a complex narrative involving two different locations, three victims, and numerous witness statements.
"A witness on the scene saw a greenish-blue Chevy Malibu with a male hanging out of the window shooting toward the residence," Reed read from the affidavit. "They called 911 concerning that shooting."
When police arrived, Reed said, they found Moten in front of the residence and LaPoole on the porch, both with gunshot wounds and Moten unresponsive. LaPoole was taken to the hospital for treatment and Moten was pronounced dead at the scene.
While police Det. Tamina Smith was gathering evidence at the South Elm Street crime scene, Reed said, a report of another shooting at the Needles Drive location was called in, and Tamina Smith left to go there. She arrived to find Mitchell wounded on the ground outside the residence.
Mitchell later died at the hospital, she said.
"During Detective Smith's investigation she received a video recording of the homicide at 25 Needles," Reed said. "The video shows a greenish-blue Malibu pull up to the residence with the occupant shooting at the residence. Seconds later, a blue Impala from behind with the occupants of it shooting at the residence as well."
Reed said that a previously arrested subject, whom she did not identify but said was driving the Impala, placed Cain in the Malibu at the time of the shooting.
"The owner of the Impala also gave a statement stating Mr. Cain borrowed her vehicle just before the homicides and brought it back immediately following those homicides," Reed said. "There is also a lot of information about this basically being gang warfare and who was connected to which gang in retaliation and things of that nature."
Reed said the owners of both vehicles reported to police who had borrowed their vehicles during that time.
"Mr. Cain did have that vehicle during the time of that shooting and there is video of that vehicle being driven and being used in those homicides," she continued.
Reed noted that damage had been evident on both vehicles believed used in the two homicides, and said that portions of the tail light lenses from the Malibu had been found inside the motor housing of the Impala afterward and that shell casings matching casings recovered from the crime scenes were also found inside the Impala.
"There was quite a bit more to it, your honor, but that is generally the basis for our request of no bond and probable cause of capital murder and those additional charges," Reed said. "Battery 1st, terroristic act, unlawful discharge, and unauthorized use of property."
"Does your record show anything about motive?" Kearney asked.
"In the detective's probable cause, he states that this was gang related and has to do with the MOB and EBK, or MG, or Murda Gang," she said. "That two of the individuals, the first individual who was murdered was of one gang, or his family members were involved with one gang and that the two homicides that occurred later were in retaliation to that homicide."
Reed was referring to the killing of Harrington, which happened at 2 p.m. that same day, about 2½ hours before Moten was killed. A suspect, Vernon McCraney, 18, has been charged with 1st degree murder in connection with Harrington's homicide. McCraney has been linked to the EBK/MG street gang and it is believed by police that his intended target was a family member of Harrington's who lived there and has been linked to the MOB street gang.
Cain and Smith are believed to be members of MOB, and Moten and Mitchell were members or associates of the rival EBK/MG, also known as "Murda Gang."
Cain was ordered held without bail on a second count of capital murder, 1st degree battery, terroristic act, three counts each of unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle and 1st degree assault, and two counts of unauthorized use of property to facilitate a crime. Kearney set a date for arraignment of Nov. 17, 2020, at 9 a.m. in District Court and told Cain that he would appoint an attorney from the Public Defender's office to represent him.