The mother of an autistic Samaritan who was shot dead while trying to stop a domestic abuser from beating his girlfriend is furious he was out on bail at the time.
Devon Michael Adams, 27, was eating a sandwich in his car outside a Cub Foods in Minneapolis at 11 a.m. on March 9 last year when he heard a woman screaming.
He got out of his car and walked over to Johnson Kenny Sirleaf, 34, to convince him to back off. Just as he was about to walk away, he was shot in the chest.
Witnesses told police they heard a gunshot, then a man fell to the ground and an SUV sped away.
On June 13, Sirleaf was finally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Devon Michael Adams, 27, was shot dead as he tried to stop a domestic abuser from beating his girlfriend
Adams was eating a sandwich in his car outside a Cub Foods in Minneapolis at 11 a.m. on March 9 last year when he heard a woman scream
The victim’s mother, Kim Adams, wrote on Facebook after her son’s death that she would face her killer in court.
“My son is a hero… He got out of his truck, left it unlocked and went to help that woman. He didn’t know her and had never seen her before,” she wrote.
My son is the most loving person I have ever met, even though he has driven me pretty crazy over the years.
I made eye contact with [Sirleaf]the shooter looked at me, I looked back at him, I stared at him the whole time, he got very nervous, agitated and yelled it a few times in the courtroom.
‘[He has] a long criminal history and should not have been on the streets at all.’
Sirleaf was convicted of six felonies when he shot Adams, and was charged with two more counts, but was released on bail.
Johnson Kenny Sirleaf, 34, shot Adams in the chest after confronting him. He was out on bail for domestic violence and had six felony convictions
Court records show that Sirleaf was first convicted of trespassing in 2009 and fined $50. Then in February 2010, he was sentenced to nine days in jail and 21 months probation for possessing or selling counterfeit checks.
He only lasted until November of that year, when he was convicted of receiving stolen goods. He was sentenced to 64 days in jail and five years probation.
A year later he was convicted of a misdemeanor count of theft and weapons possession, and of third-degree burglary, for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Sirleaf’s criminal activities escalated to violence immediately after his release. In December 2012, he was convicted twice for aggravated robbery with violence and sentenced to 67 months in prison.
He was allowed to serve these sentences concurrently, but upon release he committed another robbery and in June 2017 he was again sentenced to 52 months in prison.
“My son is a hero… He got out of his truck, left it open and went to help that woman. He didn’t know her or have ever seen her before,” his mother Kim wrote
Adams kicks a soccer ball around while playing with his sister
When he shot Adams, he was out on bail for four months for robbery and domestic violence, with a warrant out for his arrest after he missed a court date.
These charges were not pursued further after his arrest for murder and do not appear in his convictions.
Kim said she was furious when she found out Sirleaf was out on bail for the last two charges, despite his long criminal history.
“This has been going on for a long time. He should be in jail,” she said Alpha News this week.
“We teach these criminals that they can get away with this. They know the line and we co-sign this, saying that it can be done.
“People are moving here in droves for our great welfare system. They know the revolving door. They look at this, they’re smart. It’s just incredible.”
Adam’s mother Kim said she was furious when she found out Sirleaf was out on bail for the latest two charges, despite his lengthy criminal history
Kim holds a photo of her son as a child as she remembers him
Kim said Devon had autism, but that he owned a tree-pruning business and was a mediator who “always wanted to keep the peace.”
“When you lose a child to murder, it changes your view of the world and humanity,” she told the court during the sentencing.
‘[Adams] reacted immediately when he saw someone in danger. When I was told what he did, I was not surprised at all. I said, ‘Of course he did.’
When the woman who hit Sirleaf testified, she called Adams her “guardian angel.”
Sirleaf was tracked down through analysis of surveillance footage from the Cub Foods parking lot, which shows the 2013 Buick Encore SUV driving away.
He drove straight to a nearby hotel where Sirleaf and Adams happened to be staying, and the gunman escaped.
Witnesses said they had seen the car two days earlier and identified the driver as Sirleaf.
About 20 minutes later, Sirleaf was picked up by a white Ford F-250 driven by Blanyon Toe Davies, 30, who was accused of aiding Sirleaf.
Davies pleaded guilty soon after his arrest and played a key role in Sirleaf’s conviction by testifying against him.
Blanyon Toe Davies, 30, quickly pleaded guilty after his arrest to helping Sirleaf escape and played a key role in Sirleaf’s conviction by testifying against him
Prosecutors praised him for helping them without asking for anything in return, saying he “did the right thing.”
“Everyone was suffering for no reason. There was no reason for this, and I couldn’t let (Devon’s mother) suffer,” he said.
“He’s a coward. All that tough guy stuff is an act.”
“What you did took so much courage, and you did it for the right reasons. It was honorable, and I want to thank you for that,” Judge Dyanna Street told him.
Davies and Kim embraced as he left the courtroom, with Kim calling him a “brave person” for his testimony.
He was given probation in recognition of his help in convicting Sirleaf of first-degree murder.