Dyquise Leonard | Homicide Watch Trenton

Third man in Rayshawn Ransom slaying sentenced to 12 years

Scott Ketterer — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 16:48:41 -0500

A Trenton man who took a plea deal in connection with his involvement in the 2013 slaying of 19-year-old Rayshawn Ransom was sentenced Friday.

Dyquise Leonard had previously pled guilty to one count of attempted murder for which he would be sentenced to 12 years in prison. On Friday a Mercer County Judge imposed the term of 12 years the plea deal called for. Leonard will have to serve 10 years and two months before he is able to be released. He was sentenced concurrently to 5 years on another file.

Rayshawn Ransom

“There are certain things that have happened and occurred within my life, and within my family’s life that I can . . . say ‘Hey, I would like to have justice done today in regards to my son’s life,” Raymond Salter-Ransom, said as he addressed the court. “Because I cannot hug my son, I cannot hold my son, and I can’t look at my son unless I look at pictures . . . his life was tooken away, my breath was tooken away and so has my wife’s and my other children.”

Ransom asked for justice and demanded the court do what was right.

“I say to you, your honor, to lead by example in reference to this goddamn court,” Ransom said asking the court to excuse his language. “Set an example on behalf of the state of New Jersey, my son is gone. Can’t nobody bring my son back. He [Leonard] can’t bring my son back, because it happened and he was a part of the ordeal that occurred.”

Ransom’s attorney addressed the family stating that it was a very sad day for everyone.

“Sad day? You cannot bring my son back, neither can he.” Ransom yelled in court.

When offered the opportunity to speak, Leonard didn’t offer consoling words.

“I just want to say that the charge I’m copping out to does not have nothing to do with their son whatsoever,” Leonard said. “The weapon was not even found, so.”

Continuing on with the statement that his charge had nothing to do with Ransom’s death, an angered Raymond Ransom let out another outburst. “My son is gone, yo.”

Apparently responding to Ransom, Leonard said “I ain’t had nothing to do with that.”

“My charge is attempted murder. I had not been charged with nothing to do with your son’s death,” Leonard said. “I still feel remorse for him, but the charge I’m copping out for today has nothing to do with the death of his son.”
The judge interjected asking if this testimony was consistent with the plea colloquy.

Assistant Prosecutor Stephanie Katz explained that Leonard had pled guilty to the charge of attempted murder, he had shot a separate weapon during the same time when shots that did kill Ransom were fired.

“It was all in the same incident, [Leonard’s] gun was not attached to the actual projectile that struck and killed Mr. Ransom,” Katz said. “Certainly he’s part of that incident if he could plead to the attempted murder.”

Leonard was charged along with Alton Jones and Marquis Skillman following the shooting death of Ransom, 19, who was gunned down while he sat in a car with friends on Passaic Street.

Jones admitted to the shooting death of Ransom and the murder of Tierra Green, he was sentenced to 38 years in prison on September 9, 2016. Marquis Skillman pled guilty to first-degree robbery in connection with Ransom’s death. Skillman received a sentence of 11 years in prison on the robbery charge.

Trenton man charged in relation to city shooting death pleads guilty to robbery

Isaac Avilucea — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 14:10:26 -0400

A man implicated with two others for his role in a deadly, gang-related shootout that ended the life of Rayshawn Ransom in June 2013 pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and is expected to be sentenced to 11 years in state prison.

Marquis Skillman

Marquis Skillman, 28, was charged along with West Ward gang members Alton Jones, 23, and Dyquise Leonard, 20, in connection with the June 12, 2013 fatal shooting death of Ransom, 19, who was gunned down while he sat in a car with friends on Passaic Street.

Authorities said Jones and Leonard were involved in an ongoing feud with a group of people who hailed from Passaic Street. The two groups met that day as part of an expected truce when Jones, Leonard and Skillman reportedly opened fire on three men, including Ransom who was seated in the car. Ransom’s friends were wounded in the shootout.

Skillman, who is free on bail and appeared in court from the streets, is the twin brother of Maurice Skillman, who was charged with the November 2012 murder of of Mercer County Corrections Officer Carl Batie.

While Marquis Skillman admitted Monday he was armed with a handgun, he did not say he opened fire on the vehicle carrying Ransom.

Prosecutors said Skillman did not fire into the car, and investigators have said the fatal shot came from Jones’ 10 mm automatic handgun, which witnesses said was tossed out of a getaway car that sped away from the scene.

Prosecutors would not say if Skillman, who was initially charged with murder for Ransom’s death, must cooperate against his codefendants as part of the plea deal.

Jones also faces murder charges for the fatal shooting death of Tiara Green. 19, who was shot in the stomach three days later on the same street as Ransom. He has rejected prosecutors’ offer of 40 years.Leonard pleaded guilty to attempted murder for Ransom's death as part of a 12-year sentence.

Skillman’ sentencing date was not immediately available.

Dyquise Leonard pleads guilty in connection with Rayshawn Ransom murder

Penny Ray — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 18:38:05 -0400

One of the three men charged in connection with the shooting death of Rayshawn Ransom pled guilty Tuesday to one count of attempted murder.

Ransom, 19, was shot and killed on June 12, 2013, while sitting in a car with two friends on Passaic Street. Authorities have said that Alton Jones, 23, and Dyquise Leonard, 20, are gang members from the West Ward who had some kind of dispute with a group of people from Passaic Street. A meeting about a truce was scheduled between the two groups, but as soon as the factions came face to face, Jones, Leonard, and Marquis Skillman allegedly started firing bullets into the car. Two of Ransom’s friends were wounded in the deadly barrage.

Although all three suspects allegedly fired into the car, prosecutors say that Jones was responsible for firing the kill shot, which came from a distinctive 10mm automatic handgun that witnesses pointed out to police after it was tossed from the getaway car around the corner from the shooting scene.

Leonard pled guilty Tuesday to one count of attempted murder after rejecting a plea deal on Monday. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Leonard will be sentenced to 12 years in prison, and he must serve 85 percent of that sentence before he is eligible for parole. A sentencing date has not been scheduled at this time.

Two suspects in Trenton murders reject plea deals, will go to trial

Paul Mickle — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 17:19:08 -0400

A suspect in four New Jersey murders was offered 40 years in prison Monday for guilty pleas to his two alleged slayings in Mercer County last summer.

Alton Jones, 23, appeared before Mercer Superior Court Judge Pedro Jimenez along with his suspected accomplice in the first murder, Dyquise Leonard, who rejected a deal giving him 13 years in prison.

Both were charged with killing Rayshawn Ransom, 19, in a hail of bullets fired at him and two friends sitting in a car along Passaic Street on June 12, 2013.

Jones is additionally charged with firing away at a group of 30 people on Passaic three days later and hitting Tiara Green, 19, in the stomach, killing her, before fleeing to Connecticut.

Assistant Mercer Prosecutor Lew Korngut made the plea offers, which both were rejected, meaning the allegations against them will be heard at trial, and each could get more than 30 years in prison if convicted.

Authorities said Jones and Leonard, 20, are gang members from the West Ward who had some kind of dispute with the crowd on Passaic Street.

A meeting about a truce was set up but as soon as the factions came face to face, Jones, Leonard, and Marquis Skillman allegedly started pumping bullets into the car. Two of Ransom’s friends were wounded in the deadly barrage.

Korngut said investigators tied Jones to the deadly shot, which came from a distinctive 10 mm automatic handgun that witnesses pointed out to street cops after it was tossed from the Cadillac Eldorado getaway car around the corner from the shooting scene.

Leonard is being represented by lawyer Diane Frost. Jones, who also faces two other murder charges in Hudson County, had defenseman Andrew DuClair.

Jones was ordered held on $1.5 million cash bail after his arrest. Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier also ordered high bail for Leonard and both appeared in shackles and prison jumpsuits for the hearings, which were attended by several members of both victims’ families.