Police say three suspects killed man to steal crack
Greed led to the shooting death of 43-year-old Anthony Dennis, police revealed Friday.
Officials say Dennis wanted to make money selling crack cocaine, but his three customers apparently didn’t want to pay for it.
Henry J. Holloway, Jalil K. Handy and Samuel Thomas were arrested late Thursday in connection with Dennis’ homicide.
The 43-year-old was found dead in his girlfriend’s SUV just east of downtown Spokane, said Spokane police Lt. Dave McGovern.
The three men were arrested in Idaho and are being held in Kootenai County Jail, McGovern said. Each faces a first-degree murder charge. They will have to be extradited from Idaho.
McGovern praised detectives Friday for tracking down the suspects. Using the victim’s cell phone, investigators started calling those whom Dennis had contacted during the hours before his death.
The three men – 25-year-old Holloway, of Coeur d’Alene, 20-year-old Handy, of Post Falls, and 20-year-old Thomas of San Francisco – were found at various locations in Idaho, McGovern said.
“Once we talked to them, we caught them in some lies,” McGovern said. One suspect immediately asked for a lawyer.
Search warrants were served at several Idaho addresses on Friday, police said. Detectives are still looking for the gun used in the homicide as well as other evidence.
Police say at least one suspect is being cooperative, and he told investigators the plan was for the three men to meet Dennis in Spokane. They planned to steal the drugs and the money. It’s unclear if they intended to kill Dennis.
Dennis was found slumped over in the passenger side of the vehicle. Police say the slaying took place somewhere else, then someone drove the SUV to North Grant Street and Pacific Avenue where it was found.
No drugs or cash were found in the vehicle, police said. A small amount of marijuana was found on the victim.
The three suspects have no criminal convictions, McGovern said.
However, they’ve each been arrested on drug charges in the towns where they reside.