Demarco Henderson | 876390
Demarco Henderson | 876390
876390
12011536-01-FC
Murder
08/28/2011
05/24/2013
316 months
Wayne County,
Conviction Integrity Units
Demarco Henderson | 876390
My case involves the murder of Bryant Davis, which occurred August 28, 2011, at the 24 Karat Club located at 15070 Schaefer Highway, Detroit, MI 48227. My trial was about to start, but my family pleaded with my attorney to attempt to get me a plea, as Wayne County claimed they had a star witness. As a result, I decided to take a 20-year plea deal instead of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
On September 10, 2019, I hired Steve Crane of ACS Professional Investigations to investigate my case, as I know I was innocent, I wanted to see if Wayne County actually had a star witness and to determine if this person was promised something for their false testimony.
On February 14, 2020, Steve Crane received a copy of the homicide file. While reviewing the homicide file, Mr. Crane found the Affidavit for Search Warrant, dated February 21, 2013, which described the facts in the case. The affidavit states that an unidentified female, who I will refer to “PB” was working security the night of the homicide and identified Demarco Henderson as the person who fired the shots at the 24 Karat Club. Below that comment, listed as number four (4), was a paragraph that has nothing to do with Mr. Henderson’s case. The paragraph refers to a Qasim Raqib. Upon further investigation, it was found that Qasim Raqib is serving time at the Thumb Correctional Center for homicide. Crane found Qasim Raqib’s Request for Warrant in the homicide (Case File #11-358) that has the same paragraph as the one listed on Mr. Henderson’s Affidavit for Search Warrant. On this same date, Crane contacted Qasim Raqib via JPay, and several days later he contacted Crane in his office. Crane read him the paragraph on my Affidavit for Search Warrant, and he stated that the paragraph is the exact paragraph that was on his Request for Search Warrant and that he had no idea why the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, the Affiant, or the Judge or Magistrate would have signed off on Mr. Henderson’s Affidavit for Search Warrant. Qasim Raqib agreed to send Crane an affidavit indicating that paragraph in question on Mr. Henderson’s Affidavit for Search Warrant was taken from his Request for Search Warrant.
If you remove Qasim Raqib’s paragraph from Demarco Henderson’s Affidavit for Search Warrant, the only probable cause would be the sentence that states, “PB identified the defendant as being the person who fired shots in the 24k Club.”
On April 23, 2020, Crane talked with PB. PB stated that on August 28, 2011, she was working as a security guard for Avalon Security at the 24 Karat Club located at 15070 Schaefer, Detroit, MI 48227. She stated that on this night, she was scheduled to work the front door and that during the evening, her supervisor, Scott, approached her and stated that a fight broke out on the dance floor, and he had to throw some guys out the side door. He asked her to lock the front door. As she was walking toward the front door to lock it, a group of guys came through the door, and she moved out of their way. Once the group of guys ran out of view, she stated that she heard gunshots. PB stated that she ran to the manager’s office and locked herself in the office until a police officer found her. Once the police located her, they asked her a few questions and stated someone from the police department would get back in touch with her. Crane emailed PB a Detroit Police Department Statement Form, dated August 29, 2011, and asked her if she signed this statement. She told Crane that she did not talk with any police on August 29, 2011, but that a detective came by her friend’s house on Montrose Street sometime in early September 2011 and asked her to sign a witness statement. The detective held a piece of paper over the first page and asked her to sign the second page. She stated that when she asked if she could read the statement, the detective told her that she just needed to sign the last page of the statement. PB signed the second page but stated that she did not date it August 29, 2011. She went on to state that she read the entire statement that Crane emailed her and that the signature on the front page is forged and is not her signature. PB stated that this witness statement is totally false. She stated she never saw the individuals who got into the fight on the dance floor because it is impossible to see the dance floor from the front door. PB stated that she never saw the shooter, because when the shooting started, she ran to the manager’s office and locked herself in until the police located her. She stated that she did not leave the club and did not observe the shooter drive away. PB stated that she never told the detective that she would be able to recognize the shooter if she saw him again.
Also on April 23, 2020, Crane emailed PB the Detroit Police Department Crime Report, Detroit Police Request for Warrant, and the Search Warrant, which state that PB could identify Demarco Henderson as the person who fired shots at the 24 Karat Club. PB stated that all these documents are false, she never told anybody that she could identify the shooter, and she did not witness the fight or the shooting. Crane also emailed PB a Wayne County Sheriff Photographic Line-up, where one of the six photographs was circled, the Identification Made box was checked “Yes,” the initials of “P.B.” were on the witness line, and the form was signed by PB. PB stated that she remembers being shown six pictures in a photographic line-up, but she told the detective that she never saw the shooter and did not recognize any of the people in the line-up and could not identify anyone. She stated that the signature and initials on the photo line-up are forged and are not hers. PB stated that the photographic line-up was given to her on the same day she was asked to sign the second page of the DPD Statement Form. She stated that this happened in early September 2011, not August 29, 2011.
There is also a document from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, dated September 22, 2011, that states, “Need to interview PB.” Crane asked PB if she ever was interviewed by the prosecutor’s office and she stated, “No.” Crane asked her if she ever attended a preliminary exam, a probable cause hearing, or any other hearing regarding this case, and she stated, “No,” but she did state that she was subpoenaed to testify at Demarco Henderson’s trial but was never called to testify.
On April 28, 2020, PB provided Crane with an affidavit stating that she never saw the shooter, that she signed a witness statement that the detective would not let her read, and that she never positively identified Demarco Henderson in a photo line-up.
On September 22, 2020, Crane contacted a friend of PB that I will refer as BD. BD provided Crane with an affidavit stating that she had talked with PB, who visited her house shortly after the shooting, and that not long afterward, several detectives came to the house looking for PB. She stated that PB was asked by the detectives to sign a pre-written statement; however, BD was not sure if PB signed it. She stated that when asked, PB told the detectives that she could not identify any of the parties involved in the incident or any of the pictures in the photo lineup, as she did not witness the fight or the shooting. BD stated that she knew for a fact that PB never read the pre-written statement that she was asked by the detectives to sign and did not circle any of the pictures on the photo lineup. She stated that she felt that PB never saw the shooter and had nothing to offer the detectives regarding their case.
In conclusion, there was some very sloppy detective work that went on with this case. This started with the false information on the Affidavit for Search Warrant. Crane also found that the “star witness” of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office did not see the murder of Bryant Davis and that the witness statement that was written by the detective for PB to sign was not only false but had a forged signature for PB on the pages she was not allowed to read. Further, PB never picked out Demarco Henderson in a photo line-up and her signature and initials were forged. In addition, PB’s friend BD witnessed the conversation between the detective and PB and was able to confirm that PB was telling the truth.
All declared herein true under penalties of perjury per 28 USC 1746.
Respectfully
Demarco Henderson #876390
LCF
141 First St.
Coldwater, MI 49036
or EMAIL: WWW.JPAY.COM