NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Prosecutors are nearing the end of their case in the Montgomery County Dunkin’ drive-thru murder trial. On the third day of testimony, the jury heard the interviews the two defendants gave to police the day after 35-year-old Rachel King was shot and killed in her car in the Melrose Shopping Center in Cheltenham, with her 11-year-old son in the backseat.
Zakkee Alhakim, 34, is accused of walking up to King’s car and pulling the trigger last April. Julie Jean, 35, is also charged with murder, accused of hiring Alhakim to kill King to get back at King’s boyfriend, who had recently ended an affair with Jean.
Detectives traced the car used by the shooter and found a sales receipt from a business in West Philadelphia in Jean’s name.
The owner of that business testified Jean was with Alhakim when she bought the car, and Alhakim is the one who gave it a test drive. Alhakim was caught driving that car in Philadelphia on the day of the shooting.
In separate interviews with police, both Jean and Alhakim initially denied knowing each other. During her interview, Jean gave consent to search her phone. Detectives say they found numerous deleted messages linking her to Alhakim — and to the murder.
Jean initially said she went to the West Philly car dealership with her cousin. She eventually admitted she was with Alhakim, but said she started filling out the paperwork, then changed her mind and left before the sale was finalized.
Alhakim said his sister was the one who took him to buy the car. Eventually he admitted it was Jean, saying he lied because he didn’t have a license and it was illegal.
A chemical analyst with the Pennsylvania State Police says swabs from the car’s steering wheel, gear shifter, and turn signal came back positive for gunpowder residue.