Police Arrest Suspects Connected to 2018 Murder of Rapper Lil Lonnie

Almost year after rapper Lil Lonnie was gunned down in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, city authorities have arrested multiple suspects believed to be connected to the murder. 

In a statement to the local ABC affiliate, Jackson Police Chief James Davis says officials believe Monya Davis and Antoine Carr are the men behind the slaying of Lil Lonnie. Both of the 21-year-old suspects were arrested in Texas, where it is said they were living while on the run from MS law enforcement. With the help of federal agents, Carr and Davis were able to be located and apprehended. Davis was evidently taken into custody early this month and was extradited to Jackson, where a judge denied his bond on Monday (April 22).

Although Carr was arrested before Davis, the court is still waiting for Texas to return Carr to MS. where he will likely be subjected to the same treatment as his co-defendant. 

It is alleged that in April of 2018, the two suspects fired shots into the back of Lil Lonnie’s car while he was driving through Jackson. At least one of these bullets struck the rapper, forcing him to lose control of his vehicle and crash into a house. By the time emergency responders arrived, Lonnie had died from his injuries. It is unclear why they allegedly targeted Lonnie, as the artist’s sister Crystal Capler claims neither she nor her brother knew them.

The arrests of Carr and Davis may help Jackson heal the wound caused by the murder of a beloved hometown hero. “It’s a joyous day that some killers, who in this city killed Lil Lonnie, have been captured. Now we want to take them through the judicial system, the court system, to make sure we can get these killers off the street forever. Lil Lonnie was a nice, kind person. There was not any reason for these people to kill him,” said Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes before stating his plans to have a park renamed after Lonnie “Lil Lonnie” Taylor.