One year after body discovered, Cox sentenced to 35 years for murder

One year ago this week, police discovered the body of 23-year-old Kevondre Williams, who was shot in the head and found lying in a ditch concealed in a blanket and carpet on South Elm Street in Blytheville.

On Thursday, Jervontae Cox was found guilty of his murder in Mississippi County Circuit Court.

A jury of eight men and three women sentenced Cox to 35 years in prison on Murder 1st and 12 years on Tampering with Evidence; the sentences will run concurrent. Curtis Walker Jr and Gina Knight were prosecutors and John Barttelt was defense attorney.

Still facing charges in Williams’ death are Mariah Diamond, Devon Rainey and Dontel Neely.

According to the court synopsis, police say Cox was having “a secret homosexual relationship” with Williams and claim they found evidence at Cox’s apartment linking him to the crime.

Reports indicate that Diamond had a rental car from a Jonesboro dealership that was used to transport Williams’ body.

Reports also contend that Diamond’s boyfriend, Rainey, would often use her car and police say Rainey can be seen on video accompanying Cox in buying cleaning items at Walmart following the homicide.

Neely was also allegedly present during the purchase of cleaning supplies and is accused of harboring Rainey.

“A lot of hours went into the investigation of this case,” Blytheville Police Chief Ross Thompson said earlier this year. “There’s a lot of evidence in the case. There was a lot of communication with the citizens and the community in the case. That was very much appreciated. As the leads came along, we worked them. It would be hard to say how many hours we put in on this case.”

“The CID division is working well,” Chief Thompson added. “They’ve done a good job with this.”

According to reports, a city of Blytheville worker discovered Williams’ body while mowing the roadside of the rural area on South Elm around 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19.

The court synopsis said Williams was last seen alive by family members on the morning of Aug. 13.

The report said the victim’s mother told police that she dropped him off on Byrum Road that morning, and that Williams was going to an unknown apartment in the 1000 block of Byrum Road.

“During an interview with detectives, the victim’s grandmother stated that she had been contacted by the victim following him having been dropped off at 1004 Byrum Road, and the victim was asking her to come get him,” the report reads. “The victim’s grandmother stated that the victim did not know what apartment number he was at, however, stated that it was behind her (grandmother’s) client’s apartment, which was in the D building, possibly being D-4.”

When they found the body, police knew that Williams had been missing, but didn’t have a positive identification. Earlier this year, Capt. John Frazier told the NEA Town Courier police treated the homicide case as if it was Williams’ body, even before results proved that was him.

“We started backtracking, finding where he was at,” Capt. Frazier said. “Had we not done that, maybe we wouldn’t have gotten the arrest as quickly as we did.”

The court synopsis says the victim’s grandmother contacted the resident of D-4 who matched the description of Cox.

“During interviews with others close to the victim, they stated that the victim was ‘creeping around,’ or in a secret homosexual relationship with Jervontae Cox.”

On Aug. 23, 2019, police met with Cox who “denied seeing the victim and stated that he had not seen the victim in some time.”

“Jervontae Cox denied speaking with anyone related to the victim and stated that as a condition of his federal probation, he was not allowed to cooperate with law enforcement,” the report said.

Cox did confirm that he lives at 1004 Byrum Road, Apartment D-4.

The report said on Aug. 23, police found dried blood spatter on the south wall of the porch outside of D-4, and when searching inside the apartment, detectives discovered a sheet soaking in bleach inside the bathtub.

“Detectives also located pillow shams which matched the comforter which was found covering the victim’s body at the time at which he was recovered,” the report reads. “Detectives also located carpet fibers, which were similar to the carpet found over the victim’s body, in the yard to the north of the apartment. Detectives also found evidence of blood inside of the apartment, which appeared to have been cleaned up.”

The report said, while searching the trash container for the apartment complex, police found bags that contained receipts, with the last four digits of a debit card number matching receipts found inside the apartment.

The bags also included wet towels that smelled like bleach and had blood stains, the report said.

On Aug. 26, police responded to 1004 Byrum Road after residents noticed Cox enter the laundry room and remove a handgun, which was being concealed inside of the laundry room, according to the report.

“Officers located Jervontae Cox walking away from the complex, and located a .380 handgun on his person,” the report reads. “Following this, detectives...met with the permanent resident of 1004 Byrum Road Apartment D-4. The resident advised that she has currently been away from the apartment for approximately 3 1/2 weeks due to being hospitalized, and was currently staying with a relative. She also reported that Jervontae Cox had been staying at the apartment while she was away. The resident positively identified the comforter, which was found on the victim, as belonging to her, stating that she had the other matching items. The resident also positively identified the carpet that was found on the victim, stating that the carpet was located on the side of her apartment, on the outside wall, and had been brought to the apartment some time ago by a relative.”

After Cox’s arrest, police received information “regarding a vehicle that was believed to have been used in the removal of the victim’s body,” the report said.

According to the report, the silver Kia Optima was rented by Diamond from Cavenaugh Kia in Jonesboro during the time of the homicide and returned by Diamond on Aug. 20, the day following the discovery of Williams’ body.

“They stated it was new when it was rented to her (Diamond),” the report reads. “Employees then reported that when the vehicle was returned, they observed areas of concern inside the truck of the vehicle. Employees then showed detectives several stains in the vehicle’s trunk, where it appeared something had been loaded inside of the trunk and hauled. Employees also reported that the vehicle had not been used, or rented to anyone else since it has been turned in to them.”

Detectives sent swabs and tape lifts from the trunk to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, noting they contained DNA that matched Williams’ DNA.

According the court synopsis, Diamond told police that while she was in possession of the rental vehicle, her boyfriend, Rainey, would often borrow the car and that Rainey and Cox were friends. She said Rainey would take Cox to work.

The report said Walmart surveillance camera records show Rainey accompanying Cox in buying cleaning supplies following the homicide.

A witness told police that he overheard Rainey talk about the homicide.

“The witness stated that Devon Rainey was overheard talking about assisting Jervontae Cox in the removal of the victim’s body, and stated that Jervontae Cox shot the victim in the side of the head. The witness further stated that he overheard Devon Rainey talk about the victim’s body being wrapped in carpet, laying outside of the apartment. The witness stated that Devon Rainey made mention during the conversation about using a female’s vehicle to move the body of the victim. The witness stated that Devon Rainey also spoke of helping Jervontae Cox repair a bullet hole in the wall of the apartment, and talked about shoes with blood on them, and the cleaning supplies. The witness also gave these details which were overheard to the victim’s family, with none of these details being known by the public, and being only known to law enforcement officials who were conducting the investigation.”

Neely has denied having any knowledge of Rainey’s whereabouts.

The report said a cell phone in Neely’s possession had a phone number belonging to Rainey. During a search of Neely’s vehicle, police apparently found marijuana and a firearm, which had been reported stolen out of Jonesboro, the report said.

The report said Neely was present with Rainey and Cox when the cleaning supplies were purchased.

Diamond’s trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 16; Rainey’s is set for Oct. 26; and Neely’s starts Sept. 28, according to court records.