PHILADELPHIA (May 19, 2025)—Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and members of the District Attorney’s Office Homicide and Non-Fatal Shooting Unit on Monday announced the conviction of two defendants for their involvement in the murders of four people in 2022, all of which took place in the city’s Strawberry Mansion section.
The two defendants were convicted of the following:
- Jameer Rice (DOB 7/17/03) was convicted of four counts each of First Degree Murder and of Conspiracy to Murder, and one count each of Robbery (F1) and VUFA 6108 (M1);
- Shaun Triplett (DOB 10/28/03) was convicted of four counts each of First Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Murder, and one count each of Robbery (F1) and VUFA 6108 (M1).
The series of murders began on the evening of February 23, 2022, on the 3000 block of West Arizona Street. Philadelphia police officers responded to the scene of a double homicide, where they found two men—Juan Carlos Sanchez and Iyad Muhammad—fatally shot while seated in a silver Kia Optima. Both men were shot in the back of the head. Investigators recovered DNA evidence and ballistic evidence, including three .40 caliber fired cartridge casings (FCCs) and one .45 caliber FCC that would later link back to Rice and Triplett. After obtaining a search warrant for Triplett’s call detail records, investigators also determined that the defendant had called Sanchez minutes before the murders. Surveillance video from the vicinity of the murders was also obtained, helping to identify the defendants.
In the early morning hours of March 8, 2022, Philadelphia police officers were called to the scene of a homicide on the 1900 block of North 32nd Street. Police found the body of Kelvin Sori, who was shot while seated in the passenger seat of a 2017 red Hyundai Elantra. Investigators placed Rice and Triplett at the crime scene based on clothing matching what they wore during and after the murder, as depicted in recovered surveillance video and an Instagram story located during a search of the defendants’ social media activity. Jameer Rice was also later implicated in Sori’s murder after Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigators obtained a search warrant for one suspect’s cell phone, which contained evidence of phone conversations between Rice and others in the lead-up to the killing. Investigators believe Sori was shot to death in a case of mistaken identity.
On the evening of March 11, 2022, Philadelphia police officers responded to the 1800 block of Ingersoll Street in North Philadelphia, where they found Sufyan Gibbs shot to death inside a residence. After investigators notified Gibbs’ next of kin, they learned that the victim frequently carried a licensed 9mm firearm, cash, and an iPhone. None of these items were present at the crime scene, indicating that Gibbs was robbed before his murder. Investigators were able to track the movement of the victim’s iPhone following his murder to an area near one of the defendant’s residences, where Rice, Triplett, and other co-conspirators divided up the cash and other items.
Last week, Judge Glenn Bronson sentenced Rice and Triplett to life in state prison without the possibility of parole. Additional co-defendants involved in Gibbs’ robbery had pleaded guilty prior to Rice and Triplett’s conviction.
“These terrible cases are a testament to the power of forensics. I’m grateful to Mayor Cherelle Parker and City Council for setting aside over $30 million for a new forensics lab, which, when completed, will enable law enforcement to solve more complex cases like this one and save more lives,” said District Attorney Krasner. “I also commend Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope for expertly investigating and prosecuting this difficult case as well as the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for their meticulous investigation of this case. Thanks to this investigative work and collaboration, two very dangerous individuals are now off the streets.”
“I want to thank Philadelphia Police Detectives Ohmarr Jenkins, Tom Bartol, Kevin Bradley, and members of the ATF, without whom we could not have prosecuted this case,” said Assistant District Attorney Pope. “And finally, I want to thank Judge Bronson for delivering just verdicts against these defendants and ensuring that they are held accountable.”
CONTACT:
Dustin Slaughter, [email protected]
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million residents of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for the prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually. Learn more about the DAO by visiting PhillyDA.org.