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“It was supposed to be a drug deal, but then the defendant [Jermaine Henderson] turned it into a robbery of his friends,” Assistant District Attorney Lorraine Donnelly said of the crime that resulted in one dead and another wounded.
Following a three-day jury trial, Henderson, 26, of Southwest Philly, was found guilty June 18, according to court records. He was convicted of two counts of robbery, as well as one count of first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and a firearm violation for carrying on the streets. He will serve a life sentence at Montgomery County’s Graterford State Prision.
Henderson hopped in the back of a Pontiac Grand Prix at about 10:30 p.m. Dec. 19, 2010 on the 2500 block of Jackson Street, according to authorities. Dimitry Brant was in the passenger’s seat while a 25-year-old man was behind the wheel. Henderson was allegedly dealing, but he caught the pair off guard when he tried to rob them. When they hesitated, he got out of the car and opened fire, striking both men. The 25-year-old, whose arm and knee was wounded, drove to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and survived. However, Brant, 26, of the 2300 block of South Bambrey Terrace, suffered from multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and succumbed at the hospital.
Henderson was arrested at Police Headquarters Aug. 9, ’11, authorities said.
“I think these illegal transactions are the prefect setup for a robbery,” Donnelly said. “It happens more than you think.”
Contact Managing Editor Amanda L. Snyder at asnyder@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
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