THE DARK SIDE OF IOWA
Lester Richardson
#6055140
photo courtesy Des Moines Register
Full Name: Lester Talshawn Richardson
DOB: July 24, 1983
Charge: 1st degree murder
County: Polk
City: Des Moines
Current Status: Iowa State Penitentiary
Date of Crime: September 26, 2010
Tentative Discharge Date: Life
Victim: Martin Turks
DOB: July 24, 1983
Charge: 1st degree murder
County: Polk
City: Des Moines
Current Status: Iowa State Penitentiary
Date of Crime: September 26, 2010
Tentative Discharge Date: Life
Victim: Martin Turks
On September 26, 2010, an incident occurred at the Hangover, also known as the Boom Boom Room, a bar in West Des Moines, where Lakita Portwood received a fairly large laceration to her forehead from a man with a beer bottle. Lakita’s half-brother, Lester Talshawn Richardson, stated he wanted to get back at the person who injured Lakita.
On October 14, 2010, Jamarcus Lee, Bobby Woods, and Martin Turks drove in a black Jeep Cherokee to a laundromat/liquor store on University Avenue in Des Moines. Jamarcus was driving, Bobby was in the front passenger seat, while Martin was in the back seat. Jamarcus backed into a parking space. Martin went into the store to buy some alcohol and cigars. While Martin was in the store, Jamarcus and Bobby began talking to some women who had parked in an adjacent parking space.
Lester came up and spoke to Bobby, who he knew. When Martin returned to the car, Bobby introduced him to Lester. Martin told Lester he liked to go to the Boom Boom Room, and he considered himself a ladies’ man. Lester then walked away and went over to a different vehicle. Martin remained standing between the two cars, talking to the women.
Casino McDonald, who was the long-time boyfriend of the mother of Lakita and Lester, testified Lester called him from the laundromat/liquor store and asked him to pick him up to give him a ride home. Casino stated that when he arrived at the scene, Lester told him that the men in the Jeep Cherokee were involved in the incident when Lakita got hit in the head with a bottle. Casino stated he then went over to speak to the person in the driver’s seat.
Jamarcus testified that a man walked up to the driver’s side window of the Jeep Cherokee, where Jamarcus was sitting and said, “What was that shit you and your cousin was talking about laughing at the club when my daughter got hit in the face with a bottle?” While Jamarcus and Bobby were talking to Casino, a shot was fired which struck Martin in the head and killed him.
When the shot was fired, Jamarcus and Bobby drove out of the parking lot. Additional shots were fired at the back of the Jeep Cherokee. Bobby was struck by a bullet which did not penetrate the skin, but caused bruising. Jamarcus testified that if he had been sitting up straight in the vehicle, he would have been shot in the back because a bullet went through the driver’s seat. A bullet penetrated the gas tank of the Jeep Cherokee, causing gas leakage. Jamarcus and Bobby circled the block and then parked at a gas station adjacent to the laundromat/liquor store.
Casino gave Lester a ride to Casino’s home. Casino stated he took Keyo Way down to 235 east-bound. He testified that Lester said, “fuck, fuck fuck,” as they were driving. Lester asked his girlfriend, Tara Jones, to pick him up from Casino’s home. Lester spent the night at Tara’s home. He did not mention anything about the shooting to Tara. The next day he dropped out of school and left town.
Martin died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head. Police obtained a videotape from the laundromat/liquor store which showed a man with his arm extended pointing towards the back of the Jeep Cherokee, and they believed this was the gunman. Officers found Lester’s cell phone in the weeds near the Keo Way entrance to the freeway. By tracing phone numbers on Tara’s cell phone, officers were able to track Lester to Minneapolis, Minnesota. When officers found Lester, he was hiding on some stairs in a home.
Lester was charged with murder in the first-degree. At the criminal trial, Courtney Chestnut testified he was standing at the corner of the laundromat/liquor store and saw Lester shoot Martin. Bobby testified he did not see the shooting as it occurred, but after watching the videotape, he told officers that most likely Lester was the shooter. Jamarcus also testified that he did not see the shooting as it happened, but after watching the videotape he believed Martin had been shot by Lester. He stated the videotape showed Lester with his arm raised, shooting at the back of the Jeep Cherokee.
Vernon Glass testified he was just walking up to say “what’s up” to Martin when Martin was shot and killed. Vernon testified that he saw Lester shoot Martin. The videotape shows Vernon running away from the scene while the shooter is still aiming at the back of the Jeep Cherokee. Vernon also testified that after the shooting, Lester called him and said, “That’s my work. Did you see my work? That’s my work.” Additionally, Casino identified Lester as the person on the video tape with his arm extended pointing at the back of the Jeep Cherokee. Lester’s cousin, Kenyatta Taylor, who was present at the crime scene, testified he saw Lester shooting at the Jeep Cherokee, but did not see him shoot anyone. Scott Edwards, who was also at the scene, testified that when officers showed him the videotape, he agreed with their statement that the shooter was Lester.
The jury found Lester guilty of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life in prison.
On October 14, 2010, Jamarcus Lee, Bobby Woods, and Martin Turks drove in a black Jeep Cherokee to a laundromat/liquor store on University Avenue in Des Moines. Jamarcus was driving, Bobby was in the front passenger seat, while Martin was in the back seat. Jamarcus backed into a parking space. Martin went into the store to buy some alcohol and cigars. While Martin was in the store, Jamarcus and Bobby began talking to some women who had parked in an adjacent parking space.
Lester came up and spoke to Bobby, who he knew. When Martin returned to the car, Bobby introduced him to Lester. Martin told Lester he liked to go to the Boom Boom Room, and he considered himself a ladies’ man. Lester then walked away and went over to a different vehicle. Martin remained standing between the two cars, talking to the women.
Casino McDonald, who was the long-time boyfriend of the mother of Lakita and Lester, testified Lester called him from the laundromat/liquor store and asked him to pick him up to give him a ride home. Casino stated that when he arrived at the scene, Lester told him that the men in the Jeep Cherokee were involved in the incident when Lakita got hit in the head with a bottle. Casino stated he then went over to speak to the person in the driver’s seat.
Jamarcus testified that a man walked up to the driver’s side window of the Jeep Cherokee, where Jamarcus was sitting and said, “What was that shit you and your cousin was talking about laughing at the club when my daughter got hit in the face with a bottle?” While Jamarcus and Bobby were talking to Casino, a shot was fired which struck Martin in the head and killed him.
When the shot was fired, Jamarcus and Bobby drove out of the parking lot. Additional shots were fired at the back of the Jeep Cherokee. Bobby was struck by a bullet which did not penetrate the skin, but caused bruising. Jamarcus testified that if he had been sitting up straight in the vehicle, he would have been shot in the back because a bullet went through the driver’s seat. A bullet penetrated the gas tank of the Jeep Cherokee, causing gas leakage. Jamarcus and Bobby circled the block and then parked at a gas station adjacent to the laundromat/liquor store.
Casino gave Lester a ride to Casino’s home. Casino stated he took Keyo Way down to 235 east-bound. He testified that Lester said, “fuck, fuck fuck,” as they were driving. Lester asked his girlfriend, Tara Jones, to pick him up from Casino’s home. Lester spent the night at Tara’s home. He did not mention anything about the shooting to Tara. The next day he dropped out of school and left town.
Martin died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head. Police obtained a videotape from the laundromat/liquor store which showed a man with his arm extended pointing towards the back of the Jeep Cherokee, and they believed this was the gunman. Officers found Lester’s cell phone in the weeds near the Keo Way entrance to the freeway. By tracing phone numbers on Tara’s cell phone, officers were able to track Lester to Minneapolis, Minnesota. When officers found Lester, he was hiding on some stairs in a home.
Lester was charged with murder in the first-degree. At the criminal trial, Courtney Chestnut testified he was standing at the corner of the laundromat/liquor store and saw Lester shoot Martin. Bobby testified he did not see the shooting as it occurred, but after watching the videotape, he told officers that most likely Lester was the shooter. Jamarcus also testified that he did not see the shooting as it happened, but after watching the videotape he believed Martin had been shot by Lester. He stated the videotape showed Lester with his arm raised, shooting at the back of the Jeep Cherokee.
Vernon Glass testified he was just walking up to say “what’s up” to Martin when Martin was shot and killed. Vernon testified that he saw Lester shoot Martin. The videotape shows Vernon running away from the scene while the shooter is still aiming at the back of the Jeep Cherokee. Vernon also testified that after the shooting, Lester called him and said, “That’s my work. Did you see my work? That’s my work.” Additionally, Casino identified Lester as the person on the video tape with his arm extended pointing at the back of the Jeep Cherokee. Lester’s cousin, Kenyatta Taylor, who was present at the crime scene, testified he saw Lester shooting at the Jeep Cherokee, but did not see him shoot anyone. Scott Edwards, who was also at the scene, testified that when officers showed him the videotape, he agreed with their statement that the shooter was Lester.
The jury found Lester guilty of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life in prison.
Source: Justia US Law
