Opinion ID: 844217
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Murder of Carlos Adkins

Text: In January 1992, Carlos Adkins was shot to death in the apartment of Janice Chappell, located in the Nickerson Gardens housing project in Los Angeles. Andre and Janice Chappell and their friend Bertrand Dickson witnessed the shooting. Dickson, who was visiting Andre Chappell, went out to purchase some cigarettes. When returning, he thought he heard someone call out his nickname. Believing it to be his friend Romeo, he responded by calling out, Romeo, down here. Defendant, who was driving by, called out to him, You don't know me, don't try to sell me something. Dickson explained that he had not been talking to defendant. As he was walking toward the Chappells' apartment, Dickson saw defendant pointing a gun at him from the window of the car. Dickson went inside the apartment, where Adkins was playing chess with Andre Chappell. He heard a banging at the door. Chappell opened the door and defendant entered, making angry remarks. Defendant had a gun at his side. Dickson explained that he was calling to his friend Romeo and had not been trying to sell anything to defendant. Carlos Adkins then stood up. Defendant asked him what he was going to do, stating I know you's a Tillman, and hit Adkins with the gun. Adkins stated that he was not named Tillman and defendant told him to shut up. Janice Chappell, who had been asleep upstairs, was awakened by the sounds of arguing and walked downstairs. She observed defendant, Adkins, Andre Chappell, and Dickson in the living room. Defendant appeared to be angry and Andre Chappell appeared to be trying to calm him down. Defendant started to leave the apartment and as he was walking to the door he apologized to Janice Chappell for the disturbance and stated that the men in the apartment don't know who I am. Dickson thought he heard defendant identify himself as Renzi. Adkins then stated to defendant, You don't know who I am either. Defendant came back inside, placed the gun between Adkins's eyes and threatened to blow [his] brains out. Adkins grabbed the gun and a struggle ensued, during which two shots were fired. Dickson ran out of the apartment and called 911. When he went to meet the ambulance, he was stopped by defendant and another man. They told him not to say anything about the incident and pistol-whipped him. The two men forced Dickson into the trunk of their car at gunpoint, but Dickson got out and ran away. Adkins subsequently died of a gunshot wound to the right lower chest. The next day Dickson informed his parole officer that he had witnessed a shooting, and was advised to contact the police. When he initially met with police detectives, he described the shooting and told the officers that the shooter's name was Renzi. Subsequently, Dickson met with a local man named Renzi, who Dickson knew was not the killer. He informed the police that he had learned that the correct name was Reggie. Dickson identified defendant's picture in a photographic display and later selected him during a live lineup. Janice Chappell also picked defendant's picture from a photographic display, indicating that he looked like the man who shot Carlos Adkins. Several months later, defendant was identified during a traffic stop and arrested on a warrant for the shooting of Carlos Adkins. In September of 1992, Dickson, who was then incarcerated, was transported to the Compton Courthouse for defendant's preliminary hearing. He was placed in a holding cell with defendant, who asked him why he was going to testify. Defendant stated that he had not meant to do it and that it had been his girlfriend's birthday and he had argued with her and was upset. He just went off. Defendant told Dickson that Dickson didn't want to end up like Andre [Chappell]. Dickson was aware that Andre had died. He understood defendant to be saying that if he testified, he could not go back to the projects. Defendant offered to give Dickson $5,000 if he turned the cheek. Dickson told the prosecutor that he had identified the wrong man, and defendant was released. Defendant was subsequently recharged with the murder of Adkins. At trial, Dickson identified defendant as the person who shot Adkins. Dickson had been promised that if he testified he would serve his sentence outside Los Angeles County if he were convicted on a pending burglary charge. Janice Chappell also testified that defendant looked like the person who shot Adkins, stating that she was 98 percent certain he was the man. Andre Chappell did not testify because he had been shot and killed in the Nickerson Gardens housing project in March 1992. The jury found defendant guilty of the second degree murder of Carlos Adkins.