Crips Gang Member Convicted of Murder

Prosecutors in DA Charme Allen’s Career Gang Unit obtained convictions against a Crips gang member who shot a man during a drug deal. Demorris Sanchez McKenzie, 28, was convicted of First Degree Murder, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Driving on a Revoked License. Judge Bob McGee imposed the mandatory life sentence for the murder conviction and set the case for sentencing on May 4 to address the other counts.

In a three-day trial, Assistant District Attorneys TaKisha Fitzgerald and Ashley McDermott explained to the jury that on February 27, 2016, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a shooting at the Ridgebrook Apartment complex. Investigator Brandon Wardlaw was able to uncover that McKenzie sold fake drugs to the victim. The two argued about the fake drugs, and while in the parking lot of the apartment complex, McKenzie shot the victim in the abdomen with an assault rifle. McKenzie then walked up to the victim who was lying on the ground and shot him two more times, once in the arm and once in the back.

McKenzie has four prior felony convictions and is listed as a member of the Crips criminal street gang. The life sentence imposed today means McKenzie will not be eligible for parole until he serves fifty-one years in prison.

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.