HARRISBURG, PA — A Northampton County jury has found Alkiohn Dunkins, 26, of Easton, guilty of first-degree murder and related charges for the 2018 killing of 18-year-old Tyrell Holmes. The verdict came after seven days of testimony regarding the brutal crime, which shocked the Lehigh Valley community.
Holmes, whose body was discovered near a dumpster outside an Easton apartment complex, had been stabbed multiple times and set on fire while still alive, according to investigators. Prosecutors described the attack as a calculated act by members of a gang calling themselves “Money Rules Everything,” of which Dunkins and three other charged defendants were members.
“This violent criminal organization has terrorized the people of the Lehigh Valley for far too long. This verdict takes one of their members off the street so he cannot victimize anyone else,” said Attorney General Dave Sunday. “My heart goes out to the Holmes family for their loss, and I pray that this verdict aids them in their healing process.”
The investigation revealed that Holmes had been living with Dunkins for some time and had expressed fears for his safety. Evidence, including phone records and surveillance footage, ultimately tied Dunkins, along with alleged co-conspirators Miles Harper, 26, of Allentown; Yzire Jenkins-Rowe, 27, of Collegeville; and Zahmire Welcome, 26, of Whitehall, to the crime.
Harper has already pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated arson and awaits sentencing, while cases against Jenkins-Rowe and Welcome remain pending. Dunkins is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7.
Prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorneys General Christopher Phillips and Katherine McDermott, this case serves as a critical step toward dismantling violent criminal organizations and delivering justice.
The remaining defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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