Teen gets 20 years to life in pal’s death

She recalled Tuesday in District Court how Jones visited her house, ate meals with her family and even slept over.

But the relationship soured and Jones, at the age of 15, shot Williams’ 18-year-old son Marcus “Marty” Williams and several other teens during a 2006 drive-by shooting.

On Tuesday, District Judge Douglas Herndon sentenced Jones to 20 years to life in prison for the murder.

“The sad reality is there are kids growing up together that are friends,” said Herndon. “Then all of a sudden, because of an affiliation with one side of the neighborhood or with another side of the neighborhood, they can’t be friends. Or worse yet, that they are going to commit acts of violence against each other.”

The case reveals the complex relationships and workings of Las Vegas’ hybrid gangs, whose members have been implicated in several high-profile killings, including the slaying of Palo Verde High School freshman Chris Privett in Summerlin in February.

Hybrids are nontraditional youth gangs made up of members, some as young as 14, who live in the same neighborhood or go to the same school. The gangs sometimes include members of gangs who would usually be enemies.

The killing of Marcus Williams, who authorities say was a member of Squad Up, led to a revenge killing a few months later. After that, a 17-year-old who testified before a grand jury in a connected gang slaying was shot and killed.

“Unfortunately, retribution — justice served through alternate means — is too much of a theme that appears in television and movies,” said Assistant Special Public Defender Randy Pike, who represents Jones.

Raymona Williams said her son Marcus Williams wasn’t a member of a hybrid gang but knew people from both Squad Up and the rival Wood gang.

The case dates to Sept. 29, 2006, when Marcus Williams and three other teens were walking near Martin Luther King and Lake Mead boulevards. Several teens in a vehicle shot at them, striking Williams and two others, including Marcus Williams’ brother.

About four months later, 19-year-old Patrick “P-Teezy” Russum was gunned down a few blocks away. Russum was an alleged member of the Wood hybrid gang.

It took police several months to make arrests in the killings. But when they did, they unravelled the deep connections between the gangs.

Police arrested Jones, Christian “Taliban” Williams and a 20-year-old for the shooting of Marcus Williams.

A grand jury heard testimony from a teen who was with Marcus Williams when he was killed. He told the grand jury that Jones was the shooter. He added that he was still friends with Jones and the other suspects even after they shot at him.

“I couldn’t turn my back on them when I grew up with somebody,” he told the grand jury.

Christian Williams pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm into a vehicle and was given probation.

Police also arrested Marcus Campbell and accused him of killing Russum.

Campbell, a reputed member of Squad Up, shot Russum as payback for Marcus Williams’ slaying, authorities said. During a grand jury proceeding in that case, LaShonta Matthews Jr., who was 16 at the time, testified that Williams admitted to killing Russum.

Marcus Campbell was convicted and sentenced to 42 years to life in prison.

But the killings didn’t stop there. In December, Christian Williams was playing dice with LaShonta Matthews near Lake Mead and Martin Luther King boulevards. Police said they got into a fight that ended with LaShonta Matthews being shot to death.

Authorities have charged Christian Williams with the killing. He is facing murder and robbery charges with gang enhancements.

Shelbi Williams, Christian Williams’ mother, denied that her son was involved in the killing of Marcus Williams. She didn’t discuss the current murder charges he is facing.

Like the other mother involved in the case, she said her son was friends with teens from the rival gangs. She even said Marcus Williams would stay over at her house on occasions.

“I really care for them deeply,” she said.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-1039.