A jury has convicted a Des Moines resident of murder in the shooting death of a man during a drug deal:
A jury has convicted a Des Moines resident of murder in the shooting death of a man during a planned drug deal in the city’s Beaverdale neighborhood. The Des Moines Register reports a jury Friday found 26-year-old Larry Deandre Ratliff Jr. guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of 36-year-old Antonio Quinn. He also was convicted of attempting to commit murder in the shooting of Quinn’s cousin, 33-year-old Michael Allen James Jr. He suffered an arm wound. A prosecutor says Ratliff was brought an assault rifle to the planned drug deal and killed Quinn during a fight. Ratliff will be sentenced Jan. 2. First-degree murder carries a life sentence in Iowa. Authorities have accused 19-year-old Molly Elizabeth Peter of driving Ratliff to a parking lot where the shooting occurred. She’s charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and first-degree robbery.
