712 Digital Group - top

2 take plea deals in shooting death of Davenport teenager

News

April 16th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Two youths accused in the slaying of another Davenport teenager have made plea deals. Authorities say 18-year-old James Bailey Jr. and 17-year-old Joseph Howard-Rogers Jr. are scheduled to be sentenced May 30 for killing 17-year-old Akeim Hill last May. Police say the two boys met Hill in a parking lot. A fight broke out, and Hill was shot twice. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Court records say Bailey pleaded guilty last week to theft after prosecutors dropped murder and robbery charges. Howard-Rogers pleaded guilty to attempted murder after prosecutors dropped murder and robbery charges. They were prosecuted as adults, but Howard-Rogers’ plea agreement says that because he was under 18 when the crime occurred, the court can suspend all or part of his sentence.