Denzel Wilson has been found guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Kenyauta Vesy-Keith outside a Cedar Rapids bar nearly two years ago.
Wilson, 25, faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole after being convicted for the June 11, 2023, killing. The shooting occurred outside Poppa N Tommyz on First Avenue in the early hours of the morning.
Surveillance footage showed Wilson shooting and killing Keith before fleeing the scene. He later went to a friend’s house and then traveled to Chicago, where he discarded the gun used in the crime.
In his defense, Wilson testified that he acted in self-defense after seeing what he believed was Keith reaching for a weapon. He claimed he carried a firearm for self-defense after being shot in 2019. However, no weapons were found on Keith’s body or at the scene.
A woman who spoke to Wilson after the shooting testified that he asked for bleach before confessing to the crime. Wilson allegedly told her that he shot Keith to avenge the murder of a friend, Brandon Johnson, in 2016. Keith had been acquitted in 2016 after he was charged with killing Johnson, with the court ruling that Keith acted in self-defense.
While Wilson claimed he didn’t know Johnson personally, he was familiar with his family. The state argued that Wilson’s actions weren’t justified, as Keith did not appear to be a threat at the time.
The defense maintained that Wilson felt threatened after hearing Keith mention something about “coming through the cut” and believed he needed to act quickly to protect himself.
Wilson was found not guilty of a second charge for going armed with criminal intent. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of controlling a firearm as a felon, and his sentencing for that charge is set for April.
It remains unclear whether that date will be affected by his first-degree murder conviction.
