Murder charges were announced Thursday against two men arrested in the slaying of a California State University executive at an L.A. Live restaurant late last year.
The two men, identified as 33-year-old Phillip Pasco Clark of Los Angeles and 50-year-old Santana Jermaine Kelly of Palmdale, allegedly killed Sidney Barrett Morris, 43, by shooting him in the back of the head on Nov. 28, a news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office stated.
Morris “was executed as he ate alone at the counter of a restaurant,” the news release stated.
“I want to express my sincere condolences to Mr. Morris’ family. The brazenness of this shooting is alarming, and my office is fully committed to bringing accountability to those responsible for this heinous crime,” said District Attorney George Gascón in a statement.
Video from that night showed police and firefighters arriving on the scene and entering Fixins Soul Kitchen, which is within the sprawling L.A. Live entertainment complex across from Crypto.com Arena, home of the Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Kings.
Morris was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A woman at the restaurant who was sitting nearby was grazed by gunfire. She was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
Morris worked as the equity and diversity director at California State University Northridge, according to a 2019 CSUN Today article.
Gascón said Morris “had dedicated his life’s work to fostering inclusivity and harmony within our society, making his untimely death all the more devastating.”
Morris was also the nephew of Motown songwriter Barrett Strong, who co-wrote well-known classics like “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “War” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”, CSUN stated.
Clark and Kelly each face one count of murder and one count of conspiracy to commit a crime, the DA’s Office stated. Kelly also faces one felony count of arson of property of another.
Gascón’s statement did not reveal an alleged motive.
The defendants both pleaded not guilty to the charges on Tuesday and face a preliminary hearing on April 25.
Clark allegedly fired the fatal shot, and Kelly is alleged to have helped plan the murder and provide “supplies and support,” the DA’s Office said. Kelly is also alleged to have set fire to the getaway car in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Both defendants were being held on $3.06 million and $4.06 million bail, respectively.
If convicted as charged, Kelly faces a maximum sentence of 100 years to life. Clark faces a maximum sentence of 85 years to life, according to the DA’s office.