Murder trial of Tyrese Simmons delayed due to his disappearance
DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - A murder trial set to begin Monday has been put on hold after the suspect disappeared. Tyrese Simmons, who is charged with the 2019 murder of 9-year-old Brandoniya Bennett, is accused of cutting off his ankle monitor.
The suspect's mother, Shalena Simmons, with whom he was living for the last several months, said she hasn't seen him in over a week. Following a meeting with his attorney, she said he believed he wouldn't be able to get a fair trial.
"His lawyer wasn't convincing him, 'Hey, I'm gonna fight for you'. He spoke to his lawyer maybe like three times in going on four years," she said.
His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
Simmons is the alleged shooter in Brandoniya's murder. A second defendant, Davonte Benton was convicted of murder for his role in her death and sentenced last year to 45 years in prison. Simmons is facing a life sentence. Dallas police have claimed he fired shots into Brandoniya's home, mistaking it for the home of a rival rapper living next door.
In a statement posted to his social media account, Simmons wrote:
"I will not willingly allow them to assassinate my character any longer by painting a picture that I'm a rapper who shot into the wrong home."
The Dallas County District Attorney's Office said it was notified last week that Simmons' ankle monitor had been tampered with and a warrant had been issued for his arrest.
Asked about Simmons, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia wrote in response:
"Violent criminals should not be allowed the leniency of an ankle monitor. They do not work. Period."
Dallas police last year arrested men wearing ankle monitors in two separate murders.
A state investigation into the monitoring of Nestor Hernandez and Zeric Jackson found they'd been allowed to remain out despite Hernandez's previous attempt to remove his monitor and Jackson's repeated visited to his girlfriend's home where he was not allowed. Hernandez is accused of shooting and killing two nurses at Methodist Dallas in October and Jackson was accused in a deadly Dallas shooting last November.
Lawmakers took notice and passed a law, signed by the governor last week, that will make it a felony to tamper with an ankle monitor starting this September.
Simmons' mother expects he'll be back soon.
"I want him to turn himself in. He has to," she said.
Also hoping to see him return is Brandoniya's grandmother, who said he needs to face justice. Convinced of Simmons' guilt, she said she's forgiven him and prays for him.
