Trial begins for man accused of slaying a teen who left a Fort Worth bank with cash
Prosecutors began presenting evidence Tuesday in the capital murder trial of a man accused of killing a teen who had gone to the bank to cash his first paycheck.
Lajerrian Montae Morgan, 27, of Dallas, is one of three people arrested and charged in connection with the Oct. 7, 2016, shooting death of Chaz Gilley, 18.
Gilley was hit with a car and shot in broad daylight while riding his bicycle in southeast Fort Worth on East Berry Street. Gilley was intentionally run down and then shot several times as he ran away, according to police.
If convicted of capital murder, Morgan faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole since prosecutors have waived the death penalty in this case.
Police said they believe the suspects had randomly targeted Gilley to rob after he was spotted with money at a bank inside a Walmart store.
Chesala Sanderson, Gilley’s mother, has said her son went to the First Convenience Bank inside the Walmart that day to open an account so that he could cash his first paycheck.
After the shooting, a passerby picked up Gilley and drove him to a fire station, where an ambulance was summoned. He was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital, where he died almost 24 hours later from gunshot wounds to his torso and extremities.
Homicide Detective Matt Barron said that investigators received a tip based on photographs of the vehicle believed to be driven by the suspects. With further investigation, he said, police were able to link Morgan to the black Chrysler used in the robbery.
Barron said he believed Morgan was driving the car when Gilley was struck.
A second suspect arrested in connection with the murder, Naficy Vondrake Baker, 26, was found guilty in July 2019 and sentenced in criminal district court to life in prison without parole, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.
A third man, James Murphy, was arrested and indicted on a murder charge in the case, but the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office sought the charge’s dismissal when it became clear Murphy was not involved.
This story includes information from Star-Telegram archives.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 5:04 PM.
