Marcellus Duckworth not guilty plea; charged in teen girl's death
MILWAUKEE - Marcellus Duckworth, the Milwaukee man charged in connection with the shooting death of 15-year-old Gabby Landry near 65th and Thurston, pleaded not guilty on Monday, Feb. 28 to the first-degree reckless homicide charge against him.
Prior to entering the plea, Duckworth waived his right to a preliminary hearing – and the judge bound Duckworth over for trial.
Details of the case
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police officers were dispatched the area near 65th and Thurston on Sunday, Feb. 13 to investigate a shooting. Once on the scene, they found a 15-year-old girl who had been inside a vehicle and was shot. The girl, later identified as Gabby Landry, was taken to the hospital where she was later pronounced deceased.
Gabby Landry
Detectives on the scene located a dark gray 9mm cartridge casing in the middle of the street along with assorted cans of food. Officers obtained consent to search Duckworth's residence where they "located a tan pistol with an extended magazine," the complaint says. A 9mm semi-automatic pistol was also located in the defendant's bedroom -- along with a third firearm, a "black Glock 10mm semi-automatic pistol," the complaint says.
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Police spoke with a woman who indicated she was in a relationship with Duckworth -- and had been with him on the day of the shooting. The complaint says the woman made a social media post to sell some shoes -- and within a few minutes, she received a message from "a woman who told her that she had sex with the defendant," the complaint says. Moments later, the court papers say Duckworth received a call from the second woman who "told the defendant that she was coming over to the defendant's house to fight."
Homicide scene near 65th and Thurston, Milwaukee
Detectives spoke with Duckworth about what happened. He said the second woman came over to his residence after the phone call. He indicated the woman "was going to bust out his windows so he went outside to protect his property and took two of his firearms," the complaint says. Duckworth then told police how the woman and one of two girls that was in her car threw cans of soup at a vehicle in front of his residence.
According to the complaint, Duckworth said "he went back into his residence, taking his gun, and placed his gun on the stairs. The defendant then saw the girls messing with his car and (the second woman) ran to the front of his residence." The second woman "was banging on the glass of his front door and he heard the glass break. The girls ran back to the vehicle and he obtained his gun," the complaint says.
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Duckworth told police the woman and girls took off in their vehicle but turned around and "threw more 'stuff' at his vehicle. The defendant said that as they made another U-turn toward him back northbound, 'And that's when I shot the gun,'" the complaint says. Duckworth said "he shot one time towards the ground." When he learned a 15-year-old girl in the vehicle had been shot and killed, the complaint says Duckworth "said that he did not mean to do that, and it was his first time shooting a gun and there were no excuses. The defendant said he was aiming the gun at the tire."
Duckworth is due back in court on March 29.
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