Christmas is generally a memorable experience for many reasons – some good, some bad. That said, I highly doubt the citizens of Dayton, Ohio could ever forget the events that transpired around Christmas in 1992.
A group of four kids (because that’s what they were – kids) ranging in age from 16 to 20 decided they were bored, and wanted to get up to some shenanigans. They were also short of cash, and looking for a quick way to make a buck.
The group consisted of 16-year-old Laura Taylor, her 19-year-old boyfriend Marvallous Keene, and their friends DeMarcus Smith (17) and his girlfriend, Heather Matthews (20). Keene thought himself the ringleader of the group, and dubbed them “The Downtown Posse”. They lived a rather transient lifestyle, estranged from their parents. They were staying in a flophouse on Yuma Place, more or less guaranteeing themselves the freedom to do whatever they pleased.
Taylor knew just where to start to cause some chaos. They would rob 34-year-old Joseph Wilkerson. Under the guise that she, and Matthews, would engage him in a sexual encounter, they entered his home on Christmas Eve, 1992. Keene and Smith also entered, and proceeded to tie Joseph up to his bed with electrical cords. Both men were armed.
Keene, while searching the house, discovered that Joseph kept a gun in the garage. Wasting no time, Keened took the gun, a .32 caliber Derringer, and shit Joseph in the chest. Joseph was begging for his life, when Taylor took Keene’s .25 caliber gun, and shot him in the head.
The group proceeded to use the house to party for three days. They took his microwave, a TV, his phone, a curling iron, a blod dryer, and his cars.
That same day, as the group was driving around, they came across 18-year-old Danita Gullette. She was in a phone booth on Neal Avenue, when Keene, with no rhyme or reason, took his gun, and fired at her through the glass of the booth.
The group stole her coat, and her Fila sneakers. When they went through her purse and her pockets, they found 50 cents.
Police arrived on the scene, and found Danita covered in blood, and a .25 caliber Blazer aluminum shell casing.
Witnesses told them about what they’d seen, and provided police with composite sketches. The women weren’t noticed, but the men had been.
Later that evening, the group decided on a special, personal target. Heather Matthews was sick of her ex-boyfriend calling her. Driving down Yuma Place towards the flophouse where the group was staying with others, they noticed Jeffrey Wright, Matthews’ ex, standing outside. Smith raised his gun, and shot at him four times. Jeffrey survived, having only been his in the legs.
The following day, Christmas Day 1992, Taylor figured if they could get rid of one ex, they might as well get rid of another. Taylor lured Richmond Maddox out of his parents’ home, and went for a drive with him. She ensured that her group would follow behind him in their own car – one they’d taken from Joseph’s house.
It didn’t take long for Richard to spot the car, and become nervous. But it wasn’t the group following him that he needed to worry about. While in the car, Taylor pulled out the stolen Derringer, placed it against Richmond’s temple, and fired. Just before the car crashed, Taylor got out, and got into the car the rest of her group was in.
When police initially arrived at the scene, they figured the man had died as a result of the crash. It wasn’t until the autopsy that they noticed the gunshot wound to the head.
The next day, December 26th, 1992, the group went to a mini-mart in order to rob the till. They took $44, and murdered Sarah Abraham, 38, who was working at the shop that night. They also shot at a customer who was in the store. The man survived, and gave a description of the shooters to police when they arrived.
Keene was the trigger man, but it seemed as though Taylor was in charge. She walked into the shop first, talking to Sarah, buttering her up, before Keene and Smith came in and began shooting.
Police found more shell casings at the scene. They were the same casings as the Danita Gullette murder scene.
Leaving the mini-mart, the group decided the change cars. They were nervous that they’d been driving Jospeh’s cars for too long, and would be noticed. As a result, they carjacked a woman at a gas station on Salem Avenue while she was filling her tires with air. She saw the group approach, and she ran, leaving her car. The group now had in their possession the woman’s Dodge Shadow.
Another cause for concern was that many people were aware of the crime-spree the Downtown Posse had committed. The witnesses had to go.
The group took the witnesses, 19-year-old Marvin Washington and 16-year-old Wendy Cottrill to a gravel pit where Keene and Smith shot them. They took Cottrill’s shoes as their reward.
It was pure luck that stopped the crime spree before it could go on. Dayton Police Sgt. John Huber happened to see the Dodge Shadow, and, on a whim, called in the plates. When he discovered that the car was stolen, he pulled them over.
Sgt. Huber figured he was bringing in a few thieves. He never expected to find several guns in the car, or for what was to come.
The group didn’t out up a fight. They went willingly.
As the group were arrested and brought to the station, Taylor got a surprise visit. A local minister was concerned that such a young girl was involved with a dangerous group of people. Taylor confessed everything to the minister. From the boredom, to wanting money, to murder for thrills. She spilled it all.
When police heard the confession, they were able to match the shell casings from all of the scenes to the guns they’d taken in when the group was arrested. They also got full, and willing, confessions from every member of the group. It seemed they really didn’t care about what they’d done, and didn’t express any form of remorse.
All four members of the Downtown Posse were charged with multiple felonies, including capital murder.
DeMarcus Smith and Laura Taylor were spared capital punishment seeing as they were juveniles at the times of the offences. Heather Matthews took a plea deal. She testified against the others, and prosecutors agreed not to seek out capital punishment.
DeMarcus Smith, Laura Taylor, and Heather Matthews were all indicted on on capital murder charges. They are all serving sentenced of over 100 years.
Marvallous Keene opted to a trial without a jury, instead choosing to be tried by a three-judge panel. The panel found him guilty on all counts, and he was convicted of five murders. Keene was sentenced to death. He chose not to file any appeals.
On July 21st, 2009, Marvallous Keene was executed by lethal injection at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville.
A group of bored, listless kids definitely made Christmas in Dayton, 1992 a tragically memorable one.
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Once again, a HUGE shoutout to my good friend, Stu, for the awesome suggestion! You’re a star, bud!
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Sources:
Downtown Posse Murders Leave Lasting Impression on Dayton – Merry Kill-Mas – Lisa Marie Fuqua – Medium
The Christmas Killings: Dayton’s worst crime spree – WHIO TV 7
The Devils of Dayton: Killed just for the fun of it – David J. Krajicek – NY Daily News
Christmas killing spree still haunts in Dayton 27 years later – Lisa Powell & Becky Grimes – Dayton Daily News
True Crime All The Time – Marvallous Keene