15-year old charged with murder

Date: 1/29/2008

Victim shot to death outside home

By Noah Haglund, Nadine Parks

The Post and Courier

Friday, January 25, 2008

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder in Monday night's shooting death of Adolphus Simmons at Bradford Apartments in North Charleston.

Police did not release the suspect's name because he is a juvenile, but they said he lived in the area of the apartments, which are on Bream Road near Dorchester Road at the head of the Evanston Estates community.

Spencer Pryor, North Charleston police public information officer, said the boy is in the custody of the state Department of Juvenile Justice.

Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson said her office was waiting to receive more information about the case from police before deciding whether to ask that the youth be charged as an adult. Prosecutors have 10 days to make the request to a judge, who would have the ultimate say. If the judge were to agree, the case would be sent from Family Court to General Sessions.

Simmons, 18, who dressed as a woman and was doing freelance work as a hairstylist, was shot multiple times about 8 p.m. Monday when he took out his trash, witnesses said.

Pryor has said that investigators found nothing to suggest that Simmons' slaying was a hate crime. On Thursday, he said police were not releasing a motive for the killing.

Simmons' mother, Felicia Moultrie, said a group of people about two weeks ago had burst into the apartment where Simmons was staying, but Simmons was not home. "They were looking for him," she said.

Asked if police anticipate making additional arrests, Pryor said only that the case remains under investigation.

Moultrie said news of the arrest has helped her to deal somewhat with her son's death.

"It took a little pressure off me. I feel a little bit better today because of that news," Moultrie said. "Right now I need to know why. What triggered them to take my son away from me?"

In an unrelated case, a 14-year-old boy was convicted of murder last month in Family Court for the Aug. 11 shooting of Larry Thomas Jenkins of North Charleston.

The teen, who was not named because of his age, fired into a moving car on Constitution Avenue, killing Jenkins. He was sent to the Department of Juvenile Justice for a 45-day evaluation before sentencing. He could be sentenced to a juvenile facility until he is 21.

Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postandcourier.com. Reach Nadine Parks at 937-5573 or nparks@postandcourier.com.

Copyright © 1997 - 2007 the Evening Post Publishing Co.