By Raul Castillo
Dec 24, 2023, 2:04 PM EST
In a sentence handed down Wednesday by a Tarrant County jury, Kendell Jerrell Morris was sentenced to 27 years in prison at a state correctional facility for the murder of Robert Cooley III in 2020. The verdict was based on Morris wrongly confusing Cooley with the new boyfriend of his son’s mother, triggering a tragic event that shocked the community.
Prior to the verdict, another jury had found Morris guilty of one count of murder for fatally shooting Cooley.
Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells issued a press release detailing that Morris undertook a trip from Houston, Texas, to a residence in Arlington with the intention of killing her new boyfriend, whom she only knew through basic physical descriptions.
In the statement, Sorrells stated: “He thought he saw the boyfriend and opened fire, killing Robert Cooley III, 24, who was not the boyfriend.” Morris, prompted by alleged previous conflictive conversations with the boyfriend on the phone, drove more than 250 miles with the wrong goal in mind, Law&Crime reported.
Court documents obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram offered more details about the circumstances of the shooting. According to the report, Morris and another man were captured on surveillance footage from a gun store a day before the incident, where Morris purchased two .223 magazines for an AR-15 rifle.
They bought ammunition before the attack
A probable cause affidavit written by an Arlington Police Department detective revealed that Morris and his companion were seen purchasing ammunition in Edgebrook, Texas.
Witnesses indicated that a white Nissan Altima, owned by Morris, was observed in the parking lot of the apartment complex where the shooting occurred.
Testimony from a resident who lived with the boyfriend noted that in the early hours of May 4, they saw the white Nissan Altima in the parking lot before hearing gunshots. Upon returning, Cooley was on the ground and the white vehicle was no longer present.
Morris was identified by several witnesses as the driver of the white Altima at the scene of the shooting. Shortly after the incident, he was detained by a Texas State Police trooper, who recovered an AR-15 rifle from inside his vehicle.
Prosecutors initially charged Morris’ companion with murder, but later dropped the charges. This tragic episode highlights the importance of accurate identification and the danger of actions based on erroneous perceptions.
With information from Law&Crime.
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