This shrine to Jelani Slay, 34, of Clinton MD, is in front of 5309 B St SE, Washington DC. Mr. Slay was shot March 6 2009 by an off duty police officer. According to published reports, "police said Slay, wearing a mask and brandishing a gun, tried to rob the officer in the 5300 block of B St SE.
Slay, who had a record of armed robberies and other crimes dating back to the 1990s, was hired as a Metrobus driver two months after getting out of prison, where he spent nearly 11 years. Court records show that he was charged with voluntary manslaughter after he fatally shot an armed man during a dispute on a D.C. street in March 1992. A grand jury declined to indict him in the case.
A month later, police said, Slay & 3 acquaintances robbed 2 D.C. men of cocaine, cash & a weapon. One of the victims was shot to death by one of Slay's accomplices, police said. Slay was charged with felony murder & several other offenses.
That summer, in a separate case, he also was charged with selling cocaine and illegal gun possession. In a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to reduced charges in the cases and, because he was still a teenager, was sentenced to probation. In April 1996, though, after he robbed two men at gunpoint in the District, he was given a prison sentence. He stayed there until January 2007.
Because Slay's last felony occurred more than a decade before he applied for a Metro job - he was in prison all those years - his criminal record did not disqualify him, Metro spokeswoman Candace Smith said."
But still, it's a tragedy. And someone cared enough to honor and remember him.
19 comments:
Jelani Slay was my biological father. I was his only son, and after hearing him bad mouthed by the media it does my heart joy to see someone honoring him and remembering him positively! God Bless You'll!!!
Yeah: he was a real honorable guy:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pr-georges-man-indicted-for-alleged-role-in-fatal-2008-home-invasion-robbery/2011/05/04/AFtqRKrF_story.html
If he got the death penalty the first time he killed someone, there might be several more people living on this planet.
Agreed. There was nothing positive about this guy. Can't help but think fate played a role in this guy robbing an off duty cop. Good for the cop.
Scum. Absolute and utter scum; I hope he suffered as much as those three innocent men did.
He was an awful person who got what he deserved. Our justice system failed and 3 more innocent men were killed and he STILL was committing crimes. Every life is important except for jelani slay's.
I'm sorry but Jelani Slay should've died sooner. Because of him, others have died. I hope he can find forgiveness from God because so much grief has been lived because of this man's life. And so, forgiveness on Earth for Jelani Slay will be hard to find. I don't believe that death deserves death, but this murderer's path was better ended.
Totally agree! This guy deserved to die. Because he lived TOO long, others died. What a waste of a life!
Javonn my dear, I have known your father since I was a young girl and like most black men, he was a victim of his environment. What "Anonymous" should be saying to you young brother is YOU DO NOT FALL VICTIM. Make your father proud by doing something positive with your life. Surround yourself with positive people and REPEL the ignorance "Anonymous" is spatting. While it is apparent he made bad decisions during his time here with us, only GOD CAN JUDGE HIM. You be blessed and may God Bless you and your family as well as the family of those that lost their lives in these tragic situations. Peace and Blessings to all. Yomi
How can you honor someone like this???
I knew Jelani for quite awhile... acually, he was a VERY close friend of mine during his sentence.... all I can say is.. unless you have sat with Jelani, talked with Jelani, shared with Jelani... you do not really know Jelani... He was a man who, yes, made some terrible decisions... but he was sill a man... A man with heart and dedication... why honor him? because we love him and will always miss the Jelani WE know.... the one the papers never talked about.......
Perhaps it was the environment. Regardless of the reason, Jelani Slay was a coward and the worst kind of human being. I only wish his death could have been slower and more painful.
There are plemty of people that come from poor environments. There are plenty of people who are dealt ba dhands in life. The majority of those people, do not murder innocent human beings in cold blood.
Slay was an animal. Shame on our justice system for allowing him to walk the streets for as long as he did.
Shame on anybody that would dare try and justify his behavior because of his backround.
Humans are judged by their actions. Slay's actions during his life were that of a cold-blooded, mindless, criminal.
That cannot be disputed. His erasure from this world, although it came much too late, is a positive thing.
Javonn- in no way do I mean to disrespect you at all with this post, as I'm sure I will, but I do send you my condolences on your father's death. My heart goes out to you.
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Because I too know how it feels to have your father taken from you out of the blue. I know this because Jelani Slay was involved in the brutal and vicious murders of my dad and uncle.
This blog says, "A month later, police said, Slay & 3 acquaintances robbed 2 D.C. men of cocaine, cash & a weapon. One of the victims was shot to death by one of Slay's accomplices, police said."
That would be false. Delante Cook, Jelani Slay, and others staked out my father and uncle's home and planned an armed robbery. They even went so far as to impersonate law enforcement officers. Marijuana, laptops, money, and a cellphone, were among the things taken from the home. The robbery went bad, and THREE men, Terence Strope, Ryan Strope, and Andres Yelicie , were all stabbed to death. News papers have said this was one of the most horrific murders in the area in recent times, and had remained unsolved for almost 3 years.
From what I have read about Slay, he was not a good man, and our justice system has failed us. He never should have been released from prison. Had he remained there, my family would probably still be together. A criminal was set free, only to turn around and take three young lives way before their time.
Nothing can replace the family I've lost, or make up for the countless nights I've cried my self to sleep wondering who could have done this, who could have been so heartless, so barbaric, so ruthless, so low, to stab three men to death in cold blood, in their own home.
There should be no public shrine dedicated to a man who'd lived a criminal's life with no remorse. He was a murderer, you cannot deny that. Weather he committed the act himself or was witness to it, he knew what was happening before his eyes and willingly participated, when, at any moment, he could have stopped it. He may have been a good man to those who knew and loved him, but after so long in life "some terrible decisions" make you who you are, and in turn make you a terrible person. When the bad out weighs the good, there is no turning back. Every person has a choice. Race, upbringing, and environment are all irrelevant. Basic human knowledge and intuition should tell you right from wrong, unless you were raised by wolves, and I highly doubt Slay or any of the others involved were.
Slay, was given the easy way out. I do not believe death should be punished by death. If you violently kill people, you should have to spend the rest of your miserable life thinking and dealing with the crimes you have committed. If he were still alive today, to face sentencing for my father, uncle, and Andy's murders, I would want nothing more than for Jelani Slay to live out the rest of this meaningless life, locked in an empty cell, with nothing but blank walls to stare at. I would want him to be trapped alone with himself, to think about the "terrible decisions" he's made, and to relive his murderous acts, day in and day out, until it made him insane, until it made even the very core of his soul die and rot. But with his death, there is a small amount of closure, to know that in some ironic way justice had been served.
Jelani Slay's shrine should be burned to ashes. I'm glad he got shot, but to the previous posting, I agree he should have spent the rest of his miserable life in a shit hole prison...just like his shit hole life. He's a big fat "0" and I hope he is burning in hell. Anyone who thinks anything positive about this piece of shit can go to hell as well.
I cannot begin to imagine the the hurt and damage he has created for the Strope and Yelisie families and my thoughts and prayers go out to them. I'm so grateful that you are able to have some sort of closure to this mess.
Andy - I hope you are scoring all the hat tricks in heaven! Love you Brother!
Today is the day that I learned about your death... I have thought of you often... Although we were just kids when we met.. I held you close to my heart as an adult.. I'm filled with so much regret.. Not reaching back sooner! But as I shed these years I know that God will hold and protect you in heaven as he does for me on earth
I am a family member of Jelani Slay. We met after his many years in prison and I can honestly say I did not know a murderer.
According to reports, in his past, as a youth, he did commit murder and robbery. I did not know THAT man. I met him when he worked 6 days a week at Metro. He had made mistakes, had paid his debt to society, and was looking forward to the future.
No one is perfect, only God. Before you judge his past actions, look to yourself and see honestly if you'd like to be judged by something you did as a youth, after paying your debt.
Only Jesus brought back the dead. No one here can bring back my cousin who I knew to be a hard-working man who liked to have fun. Outside of prison and harmful negative influences that surely played a role in his youth, he was a good man.
In no way can anyone excuse his past. But we all move forward everyday, and that's what he was doing. I don't for any second believe he was robbing an off-duty cop. Story is fishy as HELL. He had the live and support of family, friends, and a new love. There is NO REASON he'd rob anyone...the man worked 6 days a week!
No one is checking into this because of his past. His victims got some form of justice, but Jelani Slay never will. Because the past never dies and he didn't outlive his past.
THERE SHOULDNT BE A SHRINE WHERE A MURDERER WAS KILLED! HE AND OTHERS KILLED MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND ANDRES ANIBAL YELICIE!!!! THERE SHOULD NEVER BE A NO SHRINE FOR MURDERERS! NO I DONT KNOW THIS MAN BUT HE DEF WASNT OKAY IN THE HEAD TO DO WHAT HE DID AND HIS TRACK RECORD STATES THE SAME. HE DIED BECAUSE HE TRIED TO KILL A POLICE OFFICER! I DONT AGREE WITH ANY OF THIS. I SYMPATHIZE FOR HIS FAMILY AND MAY HE R.I.P BUT HE TOOK AWAY MY FRIEND THAT I GREW UP WITH AND LIVED DOWN THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE, WHO WAS A GODFATHER, A SON AND A HAPPY ALL AROUND GUY WHO JUST HAPPENED TO BE AT HIS FRIENDS HOUSE ONE NIGHT.
THEY NEED TO HONOR VICTIMS OF CRIMES NOT THE MEN WHO KILL. IT WAS A HORRIFIC CRIME.
RIP MY BUDDY
ANDRES ANIBAL YELICIE
1-15-82 TO 11-19-08
Jelani, I still often think of you...and miss you dearly. I pray your soul is at rest. You are not forgotten.
I will always love and remember you, Jelani
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