Joewel Keita was found guilty of a crime he DID NOT commit after a weeklong trial beginning on June 27, 2022 and ending on July 1, 2022. The alleged crime took place on August 18, 2020 on the 1200 block of Church Street in Reading, Pennsylvania around the hours of 10 PM and 11 PM. Around the hours of 11 PM two males were seen walking south on the 1200 block of Church Street. When the two males reached a certain group of people they started to have conversation. Two other individuals were also seen loading a speaker into a red Volkswagen Jetta. When the two males were finished loading the speakers they both entered the vehicle. After they entered the vehicle a unknown person on the west side of the sidewalk pulled out a handgun and started shooting at the vehicle. Ultimately the two males were shot in the head by the bullets that entered the vehicle and one of those males died in the hospital from his injuries on August 19, 2020 that person being Albert Peña – Peña, a 26 year old city man. The other shooting victim, Leo Enrique Larios, survived the incident. He is A 21 year old city man.

The following days after the shooting the surviving victim was interviewed multiple times including inside the Reading Hospital. On multiple occasions he described the shooter as a “black male, 5‘5, with two tone color glasses.” The victim further stated that he “did not see the shooter.” He could not see the shooter because “The shooter had a sweater with the hood up and a medical mask on his face.” He was only able to see the eyes of the shooter. The surviving victim failed to ID the shooter. The police continue to pressure him about the identity of the shooter after he continue to tell them on multiple occasions that he “did not know” the surviving victim also stated that he “had a lot of enemies.” 

on August 20, 2020 Leo Larios, the surviving victim, was again shown to photo lineups at his home. The first one included a man named Devon Star and another known associate, Seth Copeland. Leo told criminal investigator Cedona that he knew two males in the photo lineup. He then explained that 1) Seth Copeland was one of his best friends and 2) Devon Starr was the little brother of Brent Starr which was also a “good friend of his.“ The detective then asks Leo Larios if he can identify anyone that was on Church Street the night of the shooting and he stated he “couldn’t” (see proof) Leo Larios was then showed a second photo lineup that included Joewel Keita. Leo began to study the line up. The video recorder that the police used was then cut off and they stated that the SD card reach its limit which the police never showed proof of. This was very ironic how a camcorder as the reaches its limit right in the middle of an identification process. The camera was then eventually turned back on, two minutes later, Leo then advises detectives that he knows Joewel Kita from the neighborhood. Leo then states that he “doesn’t know if that was the person that shot him that night.” Leo specifically states “I don’t know if that’s him!” “I feel like it is, but I’m not sure” he never IDs the suspect. The detective then forces Leo to Circle Joewel Kita in the photo lineup under Duress which he does. There was never by law a  “positive identification” or a positive matchup of the shooter. 

This detective CI Cedeno then goes back to City Hall and advises CI Shell (the affiant of this case) that there was a “positive identification” which by law there never was. CI Shell never reviewed the said video of the ID process. CI Shell then gets a bogus arrest warrant from MJ Tonya Butler which he knew obtain falsified documentation in order to obtain a legal body warrant for Joewel Kita‘s arrest. Affiant is the lead investigator of the case, also the person who goes to obtain the arrest warrant of a suspect after a “positive identification“ is made. As “lead investigator“ duty is to assign other officers different task. It could be anything. From driving, to an interview, to picking up evidence. Even though an investigator makes or finds certain evidence it is the lead investigators job to go over every part and make sure everything is completely accurate which he conspicuously failed to do.

Days after the arrest of Joewel Keita, Leo Larios and Detective Snow were texting each other. Larios sends detective Chell a text saying “I told you I didn’t know who it was“ “I think you got the wrong guy“. These messages were not given to Joewel Kita and. his defense lawyer Patrick Duffy in a reasonable amount of time. The only way they were able to obtain these said messages was through a motion and they receive these messages sometime after a pre-trial hearing on July 21, 2020, 11 months after Joewel Keita is arrested for allegedly shooting Leo Larios and killing Albert panache Penna. This was clearly A Brady violation. The evidence was purposely withheld to sabotage Joewel Keita’s defense. 

On August 19, 2020 phone call from a correctional institution Took place where Brent Star called the number 610-741-4602, the person answered the phone and conversation goes on the person behind the phone number said “Yo you remember I was telling you bout the bull that burnt Dev” Brent Starr replies “oh yeah bro why wassup” The person behind the phone says “you already know” Brent says “oh yeah did you? did you send him to the moon?” The other person says “I don’t know they didn’t say anything. This phone call was used to convict Joewel Keita “ The commonwealth never shows any evidence that a person is even talking about a killing because “slang” Is being used. “Slang” can be interpreted so many different ways that it’s hard to say this person was specifically talking about the shooting because a name, please of shooting or day of shooting is never mentioned in the phone call. There were three shooting that took place in Reading PA around the time of this incident of which two were homicides.  Please note that the  610-741-6402 number does not come back to Joewel Kita. The detectives maliciously arrested an innocent man off of a false ID and pure speculation.

Joewel Keita was never involved in the shooting of Leo Larios and Albert Purnell-Palmer. The police never provided any evidence that Joewel Keita was involved in the shooting nor did they ever produce a gun, clothing, DNA or video surveillance identifying anyone as the shooter. Joewel Keita has been WRONGFULLY arrested and convicted for this crime.

On July 1, 2022 Joewel Keita, a 24 year old black man was convicted of murder of the first degree by an all white Berks County Jury. The Commonwealth brought in 80 panelist 79 of them being Caucasian and one was a Latina female. As a black man in America Joewel Keita did not stand a chance in front of 12 White people. The proof is in the pudding because an INNOCENT MAN was found guilty and is facing the rest of his life behind bars. How is that even possible? Joewel Keita was supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The burden was not on Mr. Keita to prove his innocence the burden was on the commonwealth to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was guilty. Joewel Keita and his family and friends are asking that as citizens of the United States please stand up for what is right and help get this wrongful conviction overturned. I do not believe in the justice system because the Justice system just found an innocent man guilty of a crime he did not commit!  He is a 24 year old strong black man with a promising future. Please help him keep faith and keep praying that he will make it back home one day. I am asking that if you agree with my analysis of this case then please sign your name  so we can move toward bringing this innocent man home to his family.  I appreciate everyone that took the time out of the day to read this and pray you all have a blessed day. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Joewel Keita (an innocent man)
& his friends and family