Photo Courtesy of Google
Davenport allegedly killed Omaree Morrison on Jan. 16, 2018, as he walked down 135th Street near 105th Avenue (picture); the murder occurred less than a month after Dail Ramessar was shot to death outside Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto Park.
By Michael V. Cusenza
A Jamaica man has been charged with the shooting deaths of two men in South Richmond Hill—one in December 2017 and the other just four weeks later, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced on Friday.
Richard Davenport, 42, was arraigned Thursday on a six-count indictment charging him with two counts of second-degree murder and four counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was ordered held without bail and to return to court on Feb. 27.
According to the charges, at approximately 3 a.m. on Dec. 19, 2017, Davenport was a passenger in a Mercedes-Benz that drove several times past a Cadillac Escalade parked on 125th Street off of Atlantic Avenue and just outside of Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto Park. The Escalade was occupied by the victim, Dail Ramessar, 21, and four other individuals. Video surveillance of the scene allegedly shows the Mercedes parked nearby; Davenport, who was dressed in a hooded sweatshirt, and Woodhaven’s Neville Brown, 38, exit the vehicle and approach the Cadillac from opposite sides. Davenport then allegedly fires several times into the Escalade, striking Ramessar. The men fled the scene in the Mercedes. Ramessar was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he died.
According to charging documents, at roughly 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2018, video surveillance allegedly shows the same Mercedes-Benz stopped on 105th Avenue near 135th Street. Davenport, who was again wearing a hooded sweatshirt, exits the vehicle and approaches the victim, Omaree Morrison, as he walks on 135th Street. Davenport allegedly fired his weapon in Morrison’s direction, striking the 19-year-old man several times. Morrison was rushed to Jamaica Hospital but succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds.
Ballistic tests of the shell casings recovered from the scene of the Morrison murder matched the gun used in the Ramessar homicide in December 2017, Brown noted before commending the efforts of investigators assigned to the 106th and 102nd precincts.
“Because of the great work of the NYPD detectives, this defendant has now been apprehended and will be vigorously prosecuted for his actions,” the DA promised.
If convicted, Davenport faces up to 50 years to life in prison.
Neville Brown was captured back in January by State Police in the town of Fishkill. According to court records, he pleaded not guilty on Tuesday at his arraignment. He was remanded to City Department of Correction custody and ordered to return to court on Feb. 27.
