The first-degree murder trial for Jamarrion “JJ” Davis, 18, began at the Story County Justice Center in Nevada on Tuesday with jury selection. Though Davis’ most recent address listed in court documents is in Ankeny, he grew up in Fort Dodge.

Davis is accused of fatally shooting 15-year-old Jameel C. Redding-Pettigrew as fireworks exploded overhead in Fort Dodge on July 4. Opening arguments and testimony began in the trial on Wednesday. The trial was moved to Story County.

In the prosecution’s opening arguments, First Assistant Webster County Attorney Brad McIntyre told the jury that on July 4, Redding-Pettigrew was doing what other 15-year-olds do on the Fourth of July — visiting friends and family and celebrating the holiday.

“Just after 9 o’clock that evening, things would change” as the teen headed home, McIntyre said. “It was a bit of an unusual Fourth of July. It was raining, a little bit cool, but there were parties still happening, fireworks still being lit.”

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
First Assistant Webster County Attorney Brad McIntyre gives the prosecution's opening arguments in the trial of 18-year-old Jamarrion Davis on Wednesday morning. Davis' first-degree murder trial was moved to the Story County Justice Center in Nevada.

Just a few blocks from his home, Redding-Pettigrew was walking past a barbecue happening at 216 S. 14th St. when a cousin, Kamaree Mosley, beckoned him over and offered him some food, McIntyre said. Redding-Pettigew stopped for a few moments and then continued on his way home.

When one of the home’s residents asked who the “new kid” was, Mosley said he was her cousin and that he was “DJ’s little brother.”

“You’ll hear that DJ and Mr. Davis had a connection that sets into motion the next fateful acts,” McIntyre told the jury.

He told the jury that as Redding-Pettigrew continued walking — southbound on South 14th Street, testimony would later show — Davis left the party and headed after Redding-Pettigrew. Instead of following Redding-Pettigrew directly, Davis allegedly cut east through an alley across the street from 216 S. 14th St. to South 15th Street before turning southbound.

Davis caught up to Redding-Pettigrew about two blocks away, at the intersection of South 15th Street and Fourth Avenue South. This is where, McIntyre told the jury, that Davis gunned down the 15-year-old.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Charles Kenville, of the Mason City Public Defender's Office, gives his opening arguments to the jury in 18-year-old Jamarrion Davis' first-degree murder trial on Wednesday morning at the Story County Justice Center in Nevada.

The motive for the shooting, McIntyre told the jury, was that Redding-Pettigrew’s older brother, 17-year-old Davonquae Pettigrew, is accused of shooting and killing Patrick Walker, a close friend of Davis. Walker was gunned down in downtown Fort Dodge in the 100 block of North 10th Street on May 2. Pettigrew has been charged with first-degree murder for that shooting.

Several witnesses throughout Wednesday would testify that Davis had been carrying a firearm that day known as a Mini Draco.

“A high-powered pistol that fires rifle cartridges normally fired by AK-47s,” McIntyre said.

When Davis found out that the stranger who had stopped at the barbecue on South 14th Street was the younger brother of the person who allegedly killed Davis’ friend, he decided to follow him, McIntyre said.

“He catches up [to Jameel] and the sound of fireworks on the Fourth of July is then covered up by gunshots ringing out through that Draco firearm,” he said.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Evan Thompson testified Wednesday morning in the first-degree murder trial of Jamarrion Davis, 18, at the Story County Justice Center in Nevada.

McIntyre told the jury that they’ll see home security video from neighboring properties that show the victim getting hit with the initial shots before falling to the ground and that they’ll see Davis stand over the victim on the ground, firing more shots before running away.

“You will hear testimony that the shots were so loud and so powerful, it was clear they were not fireworks,” McIntyre said.

He also told the jury that a firearms expert will be testifying that a gun recovered from the search warrant execution when Davis was apprehended on July 6 at 447 N. 27th St. is the same gun that fired the bullets that killed Redding-Pettigrew.

In the defense’s opening arguments, Charles Kenville, of the Mason City Public Defender’s Office, told the jury that the state isn’t planning on presenting testimony from the “only eyewitness” to the shooting. A woman named Margie Berg, Kenville said, had been walking westbound on Fourth Avenue South and saw the shooting as it happened.

“Margie Berg is one of the most courageous people around because she runs into a shooting — she started screaming ‘Stop that,'” Kenville said. “She’s less than 100 feet from where it was, looking directly at the person and she can get a description of his hairstyle, his race and his clothing — none of which match what Jamarrion Davis was wearing that night.”

Kenville said that Berg has “no skin in this game” and was unaware of the allegations involving the victim’s older brother.

“She is an average citizen walking down the street,” Kenville said.

He alleges that the Fort Dodge Police Department did “nothing” with the evidence given by Berg.

The first witness to testify on Wednesday was Evan Thompson, a special agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the case agent on the shooting. The state used Thompson’s testimony to admit into evidence aerial drone camera footage that shows the route that Redding-Pettigrew took after walking away from the barbecue, as well as the route that Davis allegedly took to catch up with the victim before the shooting.

In cross-examining Thompson, Kenville asked if he had ever interviewed Berg, the eyewitness. Thompson said that he did not interview her himself, but a member of the Fort Dodge Police Department had.

The jury also heard testimony from Noele Coffee, who hosted the barbecue at 216 S. 14th St., her children Aleena and Eleon Garcia, as well as Trious Harper, who attended the barbecue, and Skuyler Ellington, who spent some time with Eleon and Davis that day.

All of the witnesses testified to seeing Davis in possession of the Draco firearm that day. Under questioning from Assistant Webster County Attorney Bailey Taylor, Aleena Garcia testified that after Redding-Pettigrew stopped at the party, she saw Davis take off down the alley across from the house. She said she didn’t remember hearing gunshots around that time and had thought they were fireworks.

Coffee testified that Davis had left the party briefly after Redding-Pettigrew’s visit and that when Davis returned, he knocked on the back door, which was unusual “because we don’t use the back door,” she said. She testified that Davis was out of breath like he had been running and was wet like he had been out in the rain.

Harper testified that when Davis returned, he was “frantic,” “out of breath,” “soaking” and “couldn’t really hear well.” He testified that shortly before that, he heard the gunshots and he was certain it wasn’t anything else.

“It was raining at the time, nobody in the neighborhood was lighting off fireworks,” Harper said.

At the time of the gunshots, Harper said, he did not know Davis’ location, other than that he was not inside the house or on the front porch with everyone else.

Testimony in the case is set to continue this morning at the Story County Justice Center.