The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of Jamarrion “JJ” Davis. The Iowa Court of Appeals’ decision was filed Wednesday.

Davis appealed his conviction after a jury found him guilty in the death of 15-year-old Jameel Redding-Pettigrew in September 2023.

Davis, who was 18 at the time, attended a July 4, 2023, cookout at a home in Fort Dodge. Redding-Pettigrew stopped by the cookout. According to court documents, when Redding-Pettigrew left, Davis put on a hoodie and followed him. A short time later, six gunshots were heard. Redding-Pettigrew was shot two blocks away from the cookout. He died at the scene near Fourth Avenue South and 15th Street..

In his appeal, Davis challenged the sufficiency of the evidence identifying him as the person who shot and killed Redding-Pettigrew. He also challenged the admissibility of a phone conversation recorded from jail and evidence of a possible motive.

Court documents filed by the Iowa Court of Appeals stated that “substantial evidence supports the finding that Davis shot Jameel. Witnesses saw Davis leave the cookout immediately after Jameel and run down an alley in the direction that Jameel was heading. A short time later, six gunshots were fired. Several people saw Davis with a firearm that day.”

The 2023 criminal complaint filed against Davis stated that the fatal shooting was “presumed to be in retaliation for a homicide in early May 2023 resulting in the death of an associate of Jamarrion by Jameel’s older brother.”

That shooting occurred May 2, 2023, in the 100 block of North 10th Street. Patrick Walker, 18, was killed and Silas Hall was wounded.

Davonquae Pettigrew pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and intimidation with a dangerous weapon in connection with that shooting. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Additionally, Haydin Mapel pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and was sentenced to two years of probation.

Davis was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole in October 2023.