NASSAU- A man cleared of murdering a little boy’s father is now accused of killing the child’s mother.
Prosecutors say Cleophus Smith, 29, gunned down Shavonya Adderley on June 25, soon after his release from prison.
Smith was accused of fatally shooting Keion Butler, the father of Adderley’s son, and the attempted murders of Marvin Tilme and Chavez McPhee in August 2019.
But prosecutors dropped that case against him in April after a witness recanted, resulting in his release from prison.
Smith appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney today charged with the murder of Adderley and the attempted murder of her uncle Avery Francis.
He was not required to enter pleas to the charges and remanded to prison. His next court date is August 17.
The pair was in front of a home on First Street, Coconut when gunmen emerged from a small car and opened fire, hitting them both.
They were at the home to offer condolences after another relative, Gladstone Francis Jr., and his daughter were gunned down at the same address in similar circumstances on June 24. Francis Jr died and his daughter has been released from hospital.
That incident remains under investigation.