Fard Najee Simms, 19, was shot and killed inside Gino’s Pizza on West Ninth Street in Chester, Pennsylvania, on March 19, 2009. Prosecutors say two men, Anthony Earls and Charles Smith, both 25 and from Chester, ambushed Simms and shot him eight times in the early morning; Simms was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting.

Charles Smith was arrested soon after the killing. Anthony Earls remained a fugitive for about a year before federal marshals captured him in Joliet, Illinois. Both men were charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of an instrument of crime. The prosecution presented witness testimony and ballistics evidence linking the weapons to the offense; the defense argued the evidence was insufficient. The trial began in November 2010 and experienced interruptions, including power outages.

Anyone who knew Fard Simms or who has information about the shooting is asked to come forward.