In April of 2017 detectives came to my home looking for my daughter’s car in relation to a robbery and murder that happened in February 2017.  My daughter, Eryka and her then boyfriend, Derrick Welch, Jr. were there and were taken down for questioning.  My home was taped off with yellow tape when I arrived and there were police everywhere.  When I asked what was going on a Detective Alexander Vimogradov waved a sketch of an African American male in my face, asking me who I thought it resembled.  I was in shock and was not able to answer him.  He insisted that the sketch was of Derrick Welch, Jr. and proceeded to tell me that it was about the robbery and murder that happened at a Subway on Broadway of which I had no knowledge of.  He further stated that Crime Stoppers received a tip that one of the males in the surveillance video was Derrick Welch, Jr.  Upon investigating Derrick Welch, Jr., they found out that his girlfriend, my daughter, Eryka Valentine, drove a car that resembled the car used in the crime.  They confiscated my daughter’s car and we still have not gotten it back.

The following month we received solicitations from attorneys for my son, Jeffery Archangel saying he had been charged with a felony crime and would need representation.  We assumed that someone had stolen his identity and called to report it.  When the officers arrived, they told me they were told to bring Jeffery in for questioning about the crime. They held him for 3 days and then charged him with Aggravated Robbery.  Shannon Baldwin was the attorney assigned to his case and that was the only meeting he had with her.

They used a picture of Jeffery when he was 17 from his ID in a picture lineup and claim that the Clerk at the second Subway picked him out the picture lineup.  The picture looked photoshopped to make Jeffery’s skin tone darker to fit in with the other pictures, which by the way did not have a picture of Derrick in it.

A month later, they came back and put a warrant out for him for Capital Murder.  I asked community activist, Quanell X to assist me in turning him in because I did not want him shot down by anxious police officers claiming they thought he had a gun because he did not.

Quanell X told reporters at the police station that he heard a shocking audio of someone confessing to the crime and that this person had to have been there.  His specific words “ "This young man maintains his innocence. He didn't shoot anybody. In fact, he says he was not even there and there is some information in the recording that suggests he was not there, but the young man who confessed on the recording that he is the actual shooter had details from A to Z. That's for law enforcement to sort through. That's for law enforcement to handle; who played what role and who did what."

He went on to say, "I feel that his side of the story should truly be listened to, but I 1000 percent believe they [police] need to listen to the recording. The recording is detailed, extremely detailed, that only the actual killer would have known. It was not somebody just piecing little pieces together. He went point by point, blow by blow."

The weekend that Jeffery was being detained for the robbery a friend of his came over to talk to Derrick and ask him if there were some truth to Jeffery’s arrest.  He recorded the conversation without Derricks knowledge.  I have a copy of the recording with Derrick confessing and admitting to Jeffery’s innocence.  Derrick has since been murdered. (highly publicized case initially) He was gunned down in the parking lot of an apartment complex near NRG stadium in February of 2018.

Unbeknown to us the police picked Derrick up from school as, yet another call came in identifying him as one of the young men in video from the crime.  At that time Derrick says he was instructed by his mom to say he overheard Jeffery confess to me that he committed the crime (not true).  Derrick Welch, Jr. and his mom, Laquisia Fontenot lied under oath after the police detained Derrick a third time saying Derrick overheard Jeff confessing to his mom.

While Jeffery was being interrogated, he allowed the Detectives to hear the recording thinking it would exonerate him as he was led to believe.  I went down to the station to give a copy of the audio from the original device the recording was recorded on, also being led to believe that Jeffery would be let go.

The description of the suspects as described by the mother of the victim does not match Jeffery.  He was 25 at the time, with dreadlocks and facial hair. The detective at my home that night asked if I had a son and how old he was.  I told him yes and he was 25. I was told by the Detective that night that my son was too old the suspects were younger.

 The suspects were described as 16-20 years old, slim, dark skinned, no facial hair 5’7”.  In a different description they were described as same age but 5’10” – 5’ 11” in height.  Neither Joe nor Derrick are that tall.

Crime stoppers put a picture out of the gun man’s hand on the counter holding the gun.  My son has a tattoo of skeletal hands on his hand.  The same hand the gunman held the gun in on the picture put out by Crime Stoppers.

The recording of Derrick saying Jeffery had nothing to do with it. The recording is of the original suspect confessing to the crime and admitting that Jeff was not a part of it.

The DA has admitted that the DNA found in the car belonged to Derrick Welch Jr.

Jeffery was home on the night in question with 2 of his friends playing his play station.

His phone records indicate he was on the phone with his girlfriend during the time crime occurred.

Jeffery has no prior criminal history.  He has never gone to jail for anything more than a traffic ticket.

He had no motive to rob anyone, especially a Subway.  He is an up and coming artist, writer, and producer of music.  He has a manger who had been working with him for years.  He was in a group with Travis Scott, they were in school together where they formed a group.

Where is the second suspect?  Joe van III.  I believe that there is a conspiracy going on and the goal is to railroad my son like they have done so many other black and brown people who have not the means to hire outside counsel.