Prosecutor: Kendu Petties fired 11 shots into home, killing 2 in 2014

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Linn County prosecutor said Thursday that Kendu Petties, on trial this week for murder, fired 11 times into a Cedar Rapids home, killing Sierrah Simmons and Quintrell Perkins, who were baby-sitting a 14-year-old girl on April 2, 2014. 

Petties wasn't aiming at Simmons, 20, and Perkins, 22, Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter said during her opening statement in Petties' first-degree murder trial in Linn County District Court.

The two men were not there. Perkins was sitting next to his girlfriend on a sofa in the living room, and Simmons, siting across from him and next to her sister, were the only ones harmed that night, Slaughter said. The 14-year-old was sitting on the floor.

One bullet hit Simmons in the head, and she instantly died, Slaughter said. Perkins was struck once in the chest and tried to crawl away and take cover before he collapsed on the floor and died. Slaughter told the jury that all the evidence at trial will point to one man.

'With no regard for who was in the house ... he was just shooting,' Slaughter said. 'Eleven shots. Two innocent people were killed. One murderer — Kendu Petties.'

Petties, 33, of Cedar Rapids, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. He is accused of fatally shooting Perkins and Simmons in the home at 1708 Fourth Ave SE.

Jury selection started Wednesday, with a jury of eight women and five men selected Thursday morning. Two of the jurors will be alternates.

The trial continues 9 a.m. Friday and is expected to last nearly two weeks.

Sara Smith, Petties' attorney, said in her opening that Petties wasn't initially the suspect. She said investigations initially thought Bruce Williams was the shooter. Williams denied that, and numerous people claimed Petties was the shooter.

Smith said police had no reason to suspect Petties, until another man, Devonte Barnes, who will testify, told them he had information about shooting but wouldn't share it until police gave him 'a deal.'

But Barnes didn't provide any information to police that he couldn't have gotten from news reports.

Smith said Barnes then 'pressed' Petties for information that he (Barnes) could give to police, Petties said things that made it appear he was involved in the shooting. But Barnes, she said, was 'puffing him (Petties) up' to get him to say things.

Barnes had a probation violation on a prior offense and wanted to find a way to not go back to jail, Smith said.

After Barnes gave information to police about Petties, she said, Barnes' probation violation was dismissed.

She told the jurors after they hear all the evidence, they will find Petties not guilty on all charges.

The only witness to testify Thursday was Bruce Williams.

Williams, 26, of Cedar Rapids, said he didn't shoot or kill Simmons and Perkins.

He also claimed that he and his girlfriend, Ashley Pennington, picked up Petties, and Petties told Pennington to 'drive by fast' and go to house on Fourth Avenue.

Petties wanted to retaliate against Fonville, he said.

Williams said he didn't see Petties with a gun until after the shooting. He pointed out on a court exhibit map where they parked that night, across from 1716 Bever Ave. SE, near an alley. Petties then got out and fired multiple times at the house and then came back to the car.

Petties first asked Williams to fire the gun, but he said he refused.

'I don't see myself shooting nobody,' Williams testified.

When Petties got back in the car, Petties said he had 'fired it up' and shot Fonville and Perkins, who he thought were in the house, Williams testified.

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