Gang Member Convicted of Second Degree Murder

Prosecutors in DA Charme Allen’s Major Crimes Unit obtained a conviction against a Chattanooga man identified as a member of the criminal street gang, the Black Crime Family. Jamar Laquinn Frazier, 33, was convicted of Second Degree Murder. Judge Scott Green set the case for sentencing on June 24 where Frazier faces a sentence of fifteen to twenty-five years in prison without the possibility of parole.

In a three-day trial, Assistant District Attorneys Hector Sanchez and Larry Dillon explained to the jury that on July 3, 2012, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a shooting at 131 Overbrook Drive. The investigation showed that Frazier was part of a group called the Black Crime Family, a group Frazier claimed to be a rap record label but authorities know to be a criminal street gang affiliated with the Gangster Disciples. Frazier suspected the victim stole two ounces of marijuana from the group. Other members of the group tracked the victim to Overbrook Drive, assaulted him, and held him there until Frazier arrived. Witnesses at the scene who saw the fight said Frazier arrived in a maroon Jeep Cherokee and chased the victim into the woods, brandishing a pistol. Frazier then shot the victim in the head. Frazier fled to Chattanooga where he was apprehended fifteen days later by the United States Marshals Service. KPD Investigator Tim Riddle interviewed Frazier whose account of events changed multiple times during the interview.

Second Degree Murder is a Class A felony that carries a punishment of fifteen to twenty-five years in prison without the possibility of parole. At sentencing, prosecutors will ask Judge Green for the maximum sentence of twenty-five years.

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.