Alphonso Boyd

Alphonso L. Boyd, a 28-year-old Black man from Wilmington, Delaware, was a husband, father, and grandfather known affectionately to his loved ones as "Izzo." Friends described him as a "good man," and his memory is cherished by a large extended family. He worked in construction and had attended several local schools, including Bancroft, Glasgow, and Newark High. His life was abruptly cut short by gun violence on a residential street in his own neighborhood.

On the early evening of May 27, 2014, Boyd returned to the 1100 block of Conrad Street on the city's West Side, where he lived. After spending some time talking with people in the area, he approached another local resident, Demonte Johnson. An argument broke out between the two men for reasons that were never publicly clarified. The confrontation escalated quickly and violently. Johnson, who was 28 at the time, pulled out a .32-caliber semi-automatic handgun. As Boyd tried to run away, Johnson shot him once in the back. The bullet pierced his chest, inflicting a fatal wound. Boyd was found lying unresponsive in the street when police arrived around 9:30 p.m. Despite life-saving efforts by responding officers, he was pronounced dead that evening.

The Wilmington Police Department launched a homicide investigation, with Detective Thomas Curley leading the case. Investigators interviewed multiple witnesses who saw or heard parts of the altercation. Their testimony would prove crucial in building a case against Johnson. Within days, Johnson was identified as a suspect and was brought in for questioning on June 1, 2014, but he was not arrested for the murder at that time. The investigation continued for over a year as detectives gathered more evidence.

On August 31, 2015, a New Castle County grand jury indicted Demonte Johnson on charges of first-degree murder and two firearm offenses: possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a person prohibited. Johnson was legally barred from owning a gun due to a prior robbery conviction. His formal arrest followed on September 9, 2015. The case first went to trial in March 2017, but the jury could not reach a unanimous decision, resulting in a mistrial.

A second trial began on January 29, 2018. Prosecutors from the Delaware Department of Justice presented testimony from three eyewitnesses who identified Johnson as the person who shot Boyd. The state also introduced evidence that Johnson had made statements to acquaintances acknowledging his role in the killing. Further evidence included cell phone records placing Johnson near the scene of the crime and recordings of jailhouse phone calls in which prosecutors argued Johnson tried to tamper with a key witness. On February 6, 2018, the jury found Johnson guilty on all charges.

On August 29, 2018, nearly four years after the shooting, Demonte Johnson was sentenced for the murder of Alphonso Boyd. A Superior Court judge handed down a sentence of life in prison plus an additional 25 years for the weapons charges. This was followed by a period of six months of either work release or home confinement. An appeal for a new trial by Johnson's defense team was denied by the court in July 2018.

Alphonso Boyd's death was a profound loss for his family. His obituary named his wife, Bessie "Pooh" Boyd, his parents, and his three children. He was also a stepfather and a grandfather. A public viewing and funeral service were held in early June 2014, where family and friends gathered to mourn and remember him. He was laid to rest at Gracelawn Memorial Park. Years after his death, his grandmother, Theresa Ann Harris, passed away, having been preceded in death by her grandson. The case, which began with a street-corner argument, concluded with a life sentence, bringing a measure of judicial closure to a violent act that took a man's life as he tried to flee. As of August 2018, the legal chapter of the case was closed with Johnson's conviction and sentencing.