Devontae Watson

Devontae Watson was an 18-year-old with a memorable smile and a dream of leaving Chicago for a better life. Known to his loved ones as "Tae-Tae," the high school junior was a laid-back, fashion-conscious young man who loved his family deeply. A student at Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy, Devontae was determined to succeed, telling his tutor he wanted to go to college to get out of the city that had brought his family so much pain. He was working to pass his Spanish class and hoped to play football the following year. Friends and family remembered him as a "mama's boy" who was a pillar for his relatives. His family had endured profound tragedy years earlier when his 5-year-old brother, Eric Morse, was dropped to his death from a high-rise in a case that drew national attention. Devontae, a Black male, was committed to using his education to create a different path for himself and his family.

On the evening of Sunday, March 12, 2017, Devontae went out with his friends, 20-year-old Ryan Hamilton and 19-year-old Vogels Anderson Jr. The three had been friends since attending Ralph Ellison High School together. They had plans to go to an indoor trampoline park with other friends that night. Around 9 p.m., a resident in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood called police to report that a Chevrolet Monte Carlo was illegally parked and blocking an alley on the 8600 block of South Throop Street. It is unclear if police responded to that initial call. The hours that followed are uncertain, but they ended in tragedy for the three young men.

The next morning, Monday, March 13, 2017, the same neighbor called police again around 7:35 a.m. about the still-parked Monte Carlo. When officers arrived, they made a horrific discovery. Inside the car, which belonged to Ryan Hamilton's mother, were the bodies of the three friends. One was in the front seat, another in the back, and the third was found in the trunk. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office later determined all three had been shot, ruling their deaths homicides. Vogels Anderson was shot once in the head and Ryan Hamilton once in the neck. Devontae Watson had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

The Chicago Police Department's Area South detectives launched a homicide investigation, but details about a motive or potential suspects were not released. The families were left with agonizing questions and unimaginable grief. The mothers of the three victims, who had grown worried when their sons didn't return home or answer texts, found their worst fears confirmed. Devontae's mother, Toni Watson, was faced with the loss of a second son to violence in the city. "My child was a lovely person. Everybody loved him, teachers, neighbors," she said. "Them three boys, they didn't deserve to die like that. They was threw in that car like they was dogs. Nobody deserves that."

In the weeks following the murders, the families and community members came together to plead for justice. On April 20, 2017, relatives canvassed the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, handing out flyers and releasing balloons in memory of their sons. The mothers of the three young men stood together at the crime scene, united in their pain. "All I want is the person who did this please turn themselves in because I am about to lose my mind. Please help me," Devontae's mother pleaded.

To encourage someone with information to come forward, Father Michael Pfleger and the St. Sabina Reward Fund offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. "I tell you what I think is a major deterrent to violence in the city is when people get caught and get punished for shooting and killing," Father Pfleger said at a press conference. He lamented that the killing of three Black youths was treated as a neighborhood crime rather than the mass shooting it was.

Devontae’s funeral was held at Gatling's Chapel on the Far South Side, where dozens of friends and family gathered to say goodbye. Mourners wore pins and shirts with "King Tay" printed on them to honor the young man whose life was cut short before he could realize his dream of leaving Chicago. The dean of his school recalled his determination, stating, "Education is the key to getting your family in different positions and having different experiences. He was willing. He was willing."

As of April 2017, Chicago police detectives were still actively working on the case, but no arrests have been announced. The triple homicide remains unsolved, leaving three families waiting for answers and justice for their sons. The $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest is still believed to be available.