PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two young men have been found guilty of third-degree murder of a teenager. One of the defendants was also convicted of first-degree murder for the shooting death of another teen. Prosecutors said the same ghost gun was used in both murders.
Sobs from two mothers who lost their teenage sons to the same gun filled the courtroom through the bench trial.
Quadiar Dailey is now convicted of first-degree murder for the death of 16-year-old Kadeem Green, in April of 2021, along North Taney Street near West Cambria Street. Prosecutors played video that they said shows Dailey stalking Green as he leaves a deli, and Ring camera video showing Dailey boasting about shooting Green, laughing, saying his victim “didn’t expect it.”
Prosecutors say the ghost gun tied Green’s murder to the fatal shooting of Green’s friend, 15-year-old new Namir Johnson, just a week earlier. They say Dailey shot Johnson alongside Samir Hawkins on West Somerset Street.
Through video, the prosecution linked clothing from before and after the shootings. They also say shell casings from both scenes match the same gun, which authorities say was on an associate of both Dailey and Hawkins. That person became a connecting witness to the shootings.
Defense lawyers that witness was completely unreliable and was telling different versions of the stories, often “forgetting” while on the stand. One of the lawyers hinted that he believed the detectives may have led the witness to say what he said.
They argued there was not enough proof to convict either man for the shootings.
However, both Dailey and Hawkins will be sentenced in June. Dailey faces an automatic life sentence.