A 26-year-old man last week was the latest convicted in connection with the murder of a teenager during a drive-by shooting nearly 2½ years ago.
Latres Javontae Cockerham of California was convicted of the first-degree murder of 19-year-old Joseph James Oakes and the attempted first-degree murders of five additional teenagers for his participation in the Jan. 12, 2022, shooting.
“The defendant deliberately maneuvered his vehicle as his co-defendants rapidly fired bullets into another vehicle on a busy road in broad daylight, which provided for the murder of one teenager and the extreme endangerment of five others, while putting the neighboring community and all other drivers on the road at risk. It is no small miracle that additional lives were not lost,” St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling (R) said in a release. “Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families. We hope that this verdict brings them some comfort.”
Cockerham will be held without bond pending a sentencing hearing. He faces a maximum penalty of six consecutive life sentences, plus eight years for related firearm charges.
Sgt. Austin Schultz and Detective Taylore Nauman of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office were the lead investigators. Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Jeff Maylor and Donna Pettersen prosecuted the case, which was presided over by Judge David Densford.
In July 2023, a mistrial was declared during Cockerham’s initial trial after it was discovered that a juror realized that one of the witnesses called was a coworker not previously recognized during jury selection.
Jevontez Deqwon Davis, 22, of Mechanicsville last fall was sentenced to life in prison with 50 years of active incarceration for the shooting homicide of the teenager. Davis pleaded guilty early last year to one count each of first-degree murder and firearm use in a violent crime.
On Jan. 12, 2022, at 3:21 p.m., deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to Pegg Road in Lexington Park for a reported shooting. Deputies arrived on scene and located two males suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the victims, Oakes, was pronounced deceased on scene.
Using surveillance video from the Countryside neighborhood on Pegg Road, deputies with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office surmised shots were fired on Jan. 12, 2022, from a dark Nissan Sentra toward the Rogue driven by Oakes.
Investigators stated in court papers that as the Rogue was traveling on Pegg Road, another vehicle approached on the right side of the Rogue and a passenger in the rear driver’s side of the second vehicle had an arm extended out of the window. The charging documents further stated the Rogue accelerated and crashed in a grassy area.
Deputies arriving at the Pegg Road/Westbury Boulevard crash site found Oakes lying on a sidewalk next to the vehicle.
Sheriff’s investigators reported multiple 9 mm shell casings were found on the road.
Court documents state Oakes was not breathing and had a gunshot wound to the chest. The Nissan Rogue Oakes had been driving when he was shot had several bullet holes.
Investigators were able to follow Cockerham’s movements through a GPS tracking unit he was wearing due to being on probation from a previous condition.
Oakes, who was known as “Big Joe,” was a Lexington Park resident who graduated from Great Mills High School in 2021. He played football for Great Mills and had participated in the school’s Junior Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program when he was a student.
According to court records, Thomas Darnell Evans, 24, of Lexington Park was also charged in Oakes’ death.
Evans entered an Alford plea to one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. An Alford plea is not an admission of guilt, but an acknowledgment that prosecutors have evidence to support a charge. Evans is to be sentenced sometime next year.
Most Popular
Comments / 0