Derius Desean James

Derius Desean James, a 25-year-old Black man from Ypsilanti, Michigan, is remembered by those who loved him for his sweet and funny personality, his big heart, and a beautiful smile that could light up a room. A graduate of Ypsi High, he worked in shipping at Waste Management. To his family, he was a loving grandson who is profoundly missed, a sentiment echoed by the many friends and community members who shared messages of love and prayer for his family after his death. His life, full of promise, was cut short in the summer of 2015.

The final hours of Derius’s life unfolded in the early morning of Saturday, August 1, 2015. His death was the culmination of a series of disputes with another man that began at a birthday party in Ypsilanti Township. The conflict continued at a second location before escalating into a deadly confrontation at a Citgo gas station in the 500 block of South Huron Street in Ypsilanti. The city of Ypsilanti, part of the metro Detroit area, is a historic community situated along the Huron River, home to Eastern Michigan University.

According to witness testimony and surveillance video, the argument between Derius and the other man turned into a physical fight inside the gas station. The altercation then spilled out into the parking lot. Surveillance footage showed that Derius threw the first punch during the fight. However, the other man, Martez Terrill Gardner, responded by pulling out a handgun. As Derius turned to run away from the confrontation, Gardner fired his weapon, shooting Derius once in the back.

When officers from the Ypsilanti Police Department arrived at the scene, they found Derius on a small hill near the gas station. He had sustained a gunshot wound to his chest. Emergency medical personnel rushed him to a nearby hospital, but his injury was fatal, and he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was officially determined to be the single gunshot wound.

The Ypsilanti Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation. Investigators quickly ruled out any gang-related motives, focusing instead on the personal dispute between the two men. Their investigation led them to identify 33-year-old Martez Terrill Gardner of Ypsilanti Township as the primary suspect.

Later in August 2015, authorities arrested Gardner in connection with the killing. He was charged with open murder, carrying a weapon with unlawful intent, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, carrying a concealed weapon, and three counts of felony firearm. Court records revealed Gardner was a habitual offender with prior convictions for unarmed robbery and malicious destruction of police property.

In February 2016, the case against Gardner reached a resolution. He chose to accept a plea agreement, pleading no contest to a reduced charge of second-degree murder. In exchange for his plea, the original charge of first-degree premeditated murder and his habitual offender status were dismissed. The following month, a judge sentenced Martez Gardner to a prison term of 30 to 55 years for the murder of Derius James. With Gardner's sentencing in March 2016, the criminal case was officially closed. He is serving his sentence within the Michigan Department of Corrections.