Madison County Sheriff’s Office
The 26-year-old man reportedly drove from Houston to Arlington -- which is approximately 250 miles by car -- "to kill the new boyfriend of the mother of his child."
A Texas man who traveled hundreds of miles in an attempt to murder the new boyfriend of his child's mother -- but fatally shot the wrong man -- will serve nearly the next three decades in prison.
Earlier this week, Kendell Jerrell Morris, 26, was sentenced to 27 years in prison after a Tarrant County jury found him guilty of the 2020 murder of Robert Cooley III, 24, according to court records obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
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View StoryAs noted in a release shared by Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells, on May 4, 2020, Morris "drove from Houston to Arlington to kill the new boyfriend of the mother of his child," which is approximately 250 miles by car.
"He thought he saw the boyfriend and opened fire, killing Robert Cooley III, 24, who was not the boyfriend," Sorrells added.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, per an arrest warrant written by Arlington police, Morris traveled to Arlington in May 2020 to confront Cooley, whom he had never met. Morris allegedly only knew that Cooley was a Black man with dreadlocks, and no other characteristics. Authorities said Morris shot and killed Cooley in the parking lot of an apartment complex.
Per the warrant, Morris was arrested in Madisonville, which is near Houston, and an AR-15 rifle was discovered inside his car.
Thanks to the Arlington Police Department for their work on this case and for their commitment to keeping our community safe. pic.twitter.com/ewYvnNmn8S
— Tarrant County CDA (@TarrantCountyDA) December 20, 2023 @TarrantCountyDA
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram also detailed the alleged account of events, citing an arrest warrant affidavit written by an Arlington detective. As reported by the outlet, the affidavit said that Morris had gotten into "adversarial conversations" with the Arlington man who was dating the mother of his child over the phone before he confronted him in person.
Meanwhile, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also reported that the arrest warrant affidavit noted that a friend traveled to Arlington with Morris, with the two being captured on video surveillance buying ammunition the night before the shooting.
Morris' friend was also charged with murder, but the charge was dropped on Wednesday.
