Derick Y. Kesse killers.

Derick Kesse Murder in Kingsport

by Lewis Loflin


April 20, 2008 Police found Derick Y. Kesse, 19, dead at his Holston View Apartments residence. Kesse was apparently bound, assaulted and gagged during a robbery at his apartment, then left "in distress" and later pronounced dead. He died of asphyxiation when three young black men left him to die. Cash and probably drugs were taken from a safe in his apartment.

Keese had earlier run-ins with the law. According to the Kingsport Times-News,

...Kesse was arrested on drug possession charges during a traffic stop. He was a passenger in a Dodge Durango that vice officers had stopped for speeding on Lynn Garden Drive. He was searched after one officer spotted some clear plastic sticking out of the front of his pants, according to an affidavit. Police reportedly found crack cocaine, marijuana, Lortabs and a large amount of cash -- all stuffed down his pants.

He was arrested on charges of possession of over one-half gram of crack cocaine for resale and possession of over one-half gram of powder cocaine for resale, both within 1,000 feet of Jackson School, as well as charges of simple possession of marijuana and Lortabs.

Those charged in the murder were Ashton J. Philip, 19, Aldean K. Bowman, 19, both of Kingsport, and Patrick Devin Camp, 18, of Gate City, VA. According to press reports, "At least one witness said she'd seen three men enter Kesse's apartment with him and then leave without Kesse as his girlfriend arrived. The three suspects were later identified as Philip, Bowman and Camp."

The Trio would later take a plea bargain. According to the Times-News June 5th, 2009 they will spend 40 years in prison. They pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder. To quote, "Philip, Bowman and Camp pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and one count apiece of especially aggravated robbery and especially aggravated kidnapping." They will have to serve their full sentence.

But by January 2011 one of the thugs is back in court again trying to get he plea bargain overturned. Patrick Camp claims his former attorney "coerced him into signing the plea agreement" and "rendered his client ineffective assistance of counsel in advising him to accept the state's preferred plea bargain."

Sullivan County Deputy District Attorney Barry Staubus claimed everything was proper. Camp knows what he did and to quote, "if the pleas are overturned and Camp is eventually convicted of premeditated and felony first degree murder and the robbery and kidnapping charges, he faces a minimum of 52 years up to life in prison on the murder charge, plus 30 to 50 years more if sentenced consecutively on the latter two charges."

Perhaps that's what he really needs. Posted July 2011.

White victims of black violence, no hate crime charges.

Female victims of black violence.

Tri-Cities Violent Black-on-Black Crime