A Tarrant County jury has handed down two life sentences to a suspect for his role in a Fort Worth double murder.
Anthony Bell-Johnson, 24, received two consecutive life sentences and $20,000 in fines for killing two people, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office announced on February 9. In 2022, he and co-defendant Jay Shawn Nixon-Clark attacked children and teens playing in a garage, killing two.
“He absolutely knew what he was doing,” said Assistant District Attorney Bill Vassar during trial, according to a press release.
Bell-Johnson and several acquaintances drove through a Northwest Fort Worth neighborhood on August 28, 2022, and parked in front of a home on Steel Dust Drive, west of Saginaw.
For three minutes and 19 seconds, they sat watching the children play.
Bell-Johnson and Nixon-Clark then exited the vehicle, donned masks, and raised “high-powered rifles.” They ran toward the house and opened fire. Prosecutors said Bell-Johnson fired 16 rounds.
“They executed two of those children,” said Assistant District Attorney Melinda Hogan during the trial, per the release.
After they finished shooting, they ran to their car and fled the scene.
Rayshard Javon Scott, 5, and his cousin Jamarrien Monroe, 17, were killed. Other family members were injured, including Monroe’s 18-month-old son.
Five days later, investigators found the keys to the getaway car in Bell-Johnson’s pocket, according to the release. Vassar said the family has been waiting on the verdict for three and a half years.
“The evidence is overwhelming,” he said. “Let’s give them some justice.”
Nixon-Clark, 20, was found guilty of capital murder in 2025, according to the release. He received a life sentence.
District Attorney Investigators Scott Giovennelli and Danny Nutt assisted with the case, alongside Victim Coordinator Imelda Lopez.
“The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office extends special thanks to the Fort Worth Police Department for its dedicated work and continued commitment to protecting the community,” the release reads.
Fort Worth police officials thanked Homicide Detectives Dickerson, Cedillo, and Anderson for investigating the case.
“Homicide detectives are a major component of prosecution,” officials wrote. “The evidence they gather, the cases they build, the testimony they provide and their trial preparation are vital to delivering justice for victims and their families.”
