A jury has convicted Darius Fields on March 8 for his role in the kidnapping and murder of 13-year-old Shavon Randle.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Randle was abducted and shot to death after Fields and three other men – Desmond Jones, Laquon Wilkerson, and Devontae Owens – kidnapped her in retaliation after Fields’ drugs were stolen.
Fields is believed to have planned with Jones, Wilkerson, Owens, and Michael Titus to kidnap Randle’s cousin and hold her for ransom. Instead, the four men allegedly abducted Randle from her aunt’s home and killed her.
During the trial, prosecutors told the jury that Fields was the head of a lucrative drug operation and the one who orchestrated Randle’s kidnapping.
Lead prosecutor Jen Falk argued that Fields had suspected Titus, turned on him, and was responsible for stealing marijuana worth $250,000. Titus’ body was found along with Randle’s; Titus was a part of Fields’ operations.Â
According to The Dallas Morning News, prosecutors said Kendall Perkins had stolen the drugs from Fields’ girlfriend while in a room at a Motel 6 in Lancaster on June 26, 2017.Â
Surveillance videos from the hotel showed Perkins loading the marijuana from the room into a white Camaro while Fields’ girlfriend called him.
Upon hearing the news of the stolen drugs, Fields, Jones, Wilkerson, and Owens planned to surveil LeDoris Randle, Shavon’s cousin, and Perkin’s girlfriend.
The four men ended up kidnapping Randle from her aunt’s Lancaster home the morning of June 28, 2017.
However, Fields’ lawyers argued that there was no physical evidence tying their client to the crimes. They told jurors that the evidence gathered from two phones recovered from Fields was not enough to prove that he knew any of the men who kidnapped Randle.
Fields, who is currently serving a federal sentence on gun charges in connection with the case, is the second person to be tried in connection with Randle’s kidnapping and murder.
Jones was convicted and sentenced to 99 years in prison in 2020 for his role in the crimes.
Wilkerson was sentenced to 40 years in prison last September for his involvement in the crime after making a plea deal with Dallas County prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to the charge of engaging in organized criminal activity.
Owens’ case is still pending.Â
