The Murder of Noah Kinney
Happy late Thanksgiving everyone!!! I hope everyone had an amazing day with their family and friends!
For this case, I watched an episode of The Murder Tapes. It’s season 8 episode 1, titled ‘Blood in the Snow.’
Synopsis: A 20-year-old father is shot and killed in his car.
Background
At the time of his death, Noah Kinney was living with his foster mom, Joann Chirakos. Noah was also the father to a young daughter who he had with his girlfriend, Oahnesty Palmer.
Oahnesty described Noah as someone who lit up the whole room. She said that everybody loved Noah and that he was an amazing boyfriend and father.
Noah Kinney
Noah with his girlfriend, Oahnesty Palmer
The Crime Scene
On January 8, 2020, several 911 calls came in to the Akron Police Department just after 11 pm.
The callers described hearing several gunshots and seeing a car fleeing the scene. One caller said that the victim’s car had ended up in her driveway and described it as a black SUV. She said the victim was most likely dead as she had heard 7 gunshots.
When the police arrived, they were met by the victim’s cousin who had been in the car. He said his name was Jeffrey and identified his cousin as Noah Kinney.
Noah was found slumped over in his car. He was found bleeding from the left side of his body and had been shot through the armpit.
Jeffrey was clearly distraught. He couldn’t describe the shooter’s car but said that the person had walked up and shot Noah. He wasn’t sure why Noah had driven to this specific address as they had never been there before.
Jeffrey had been grazed with a bullet and had to get stitches. The police believed that Jeffrey was holding information from them as his story did not match the evidence from the crime scene.
The Evidence
The police found evidence that the shooter had been in the driveway of the house next door. They found seven .40 caliber shell casings all in the same area.
There were tire marks in the snow and broken glass on the ground. The police again spoke to Jeffrey as he was being treated in the ambulance. He again said that they didn’t know anyone who had lived at the house where they ended up. He said Noah had received a call and that’s how they ended up at that house.
This time, Jeffrey said that there were 2 black males involved. He said they ran from the backyard of the neighbor’s house and began shooting at Noah once he opened the door.
Jeffrey was still not telling the police everything. There were no footprints in the snow of the backyard and a locked gate surrounded the back of the house.
Jeffrey said there was so much that had happened and he ended up grabbing Noah’s phone after the shooting. The police collected the phone, but it was locked, so they couldn’t get into it.
The Neighbor
The police spoke to the owner of the house where the shell casings and tire tracks were found. She had surveillance cameras that pointed right at the crime scene.
She told the police that she had been in her bedroom when she heard the gunshots. She lived at the house with her children who ran to her crying after the shots rang out. She said she looked out the window and saw flashes from a gun.
By the time she ran downstairs, the shooter was fleeing the scene in a dark-colored car. She said she walked out of her home and was told by a male outside to call 911. She said she had dropped her phone on her way back inside.
The Surveillance Footage
The police went over the surveillance footage from next door. They saw a car backing into the driveway of the home and park. The car sat in the driveway for several minutes with the headlights on. It was odd because it was after 11 pm at night.
A few minutes later, Noah’s car was seen backing into the driveway. He walked over to the car but never shut the door. In the footage, Noah’s leg can be seen dangling out of the car. Just after Noah entered the car, there was a struggle as Noah’s leg could be seen moving.
Next, Noah is seen running from the car. The suspect shot through the windshield of his car. He continued shooting, breaking the back glass of Noah’s car. Noah was able to exit the driveway and crashed into the neighbor’s home. The shooter then fled the area at a high-rated speed.
Based on the shape of the taillights, the police believed that the suspect drove a Buick. They could also tell that the suspect was a larger black male with a beard.
The police could also see on the surveillance footage that the woman living next door had not told them everything. After she walked outside her home, she could be seen picking up something in the driveway. She eventually admitted that she had picked up a bag of marijuana. She was cleared as being a suspect in the murder but was charged with tampering with evidence.
The Friend
The police turned back to Noah’s cousin, Jeffrey. After the shooting, he was arrested on an outstanding warrant for unrelated charges.
He was questioned at the police station. Jeffrey said that he and Noah had been at their friend’s house. He identified the friend as Excel “Trippy” Smith.
Jeffrey said he believed that Trippy was somehow involved as he had called Noah after they left his house. Jeffrey said it was odd because Noah hadn’t told him what Trippy said.
Jeffrey was cleared as being a suspect in Noah’s murder but was taken back to jail after his interview.
The police interviewed Excel “Trippy” Smith. Excel said that Noah and Jeffrey went to hang out with him like “any normal day.” He said that they were going to leave for a few minutes and come back. He said that they left around 10 or 10:30 pm.
Excel was clearly holding back from the police. He was told that there was speculation that he had set up a meeting with Noah and the shooter. He denied setting up any meetings. He did say that Noah had met with someone named Melvin a while back. He described Melvin as weighing around 275 pounds and was in his 20s. Melvin’s description seemed to match the shooter from the surveillance video. He also said that Melvin drove a Buick.
Before leaving the police station, Excel provided the police with Melvin’s phone number. He also said that he had met Melvin a while back when they worked at the same nursing home. Excel said that Noah and Melvin met when they all smoked together.
Excel was cleared as being a suspect in the murder.
The Buick
The police tried searching for Melvin in their database. They also had previous employment information for him. They searched a Facebook page for the nursing home where Melvin and Excel once worked. Melvin Terry had once been an employee of the month. There was a photo of him attached and it seemed to match Excel’s description.
The police searched the contents of Noah’s phone. There were messages between Noah and Melvin just before the shooting occurred. Melvin texted Noah where to meet him.
Melvin’s vehicle had OnStar, so the GPS was tracked. It was located at a body shop not far from the police station.
There were bullet holes inside the car and windshield. Noah’s blood was found on the inside of the passenger side door.
The owner of the body shop was able to show the police an invoice for Melvin’s car to be repaired. Melvin’s father had brought the car in and asked about the cost. The body shop owner said that Melvin’s father had paid half upfront and returned to pay the second half.
Melvin’s father was charged with tampering with evidence.
The Conviction
The police were able to obtain a warrant for Melvin’s arrest. At the police station, Melvin refused to make any statements.
The motive for Noah’s murder still isn’t 100% clear, but the theory is that it was a drug deal gone bad.
After a week-long trial, Melvin Terry was convicted of two counts of murder with firearm specifications, two counts of felonious assault with firearm specifications, and tampering with evidence. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 18 years.
Melvin Terry
FINAL THOUGHTS
I truly feel bad for Noah’s cousin as I’m sure he is traumatized. I just wonder what actually happened inside Melvin’s car and if anyone else is actually involved. Noah was only 20 and had a young daughter. Noah should still be here and be able to watch his daughter grow up.
Sources
https://fox8.com/news/akron-man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murder/
