An Indiana man who prosecutors say carried out a jealous, execution-style killing inside a Michigan home where the victim was babysitting will spend the rest of his days behind bars for the heinous act.
Saginaw County Circuit Judge Andre R. Borrello on Wednesday ordered Zakeem F. Jones to serve a sentence of life in a state correctional facility without the possibility of parole for the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Devon L. Williams, court records show.
The sentence followed a jury”s January conviction of Jones for first-degree premeditated murder and multiple firearm-related felonies stemming from the March 2023 killing. The court also imposed three sentences of two years to be served consecutively and ordered Jones to pay a fine of $1,218.
During Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Jones showed little emotion when given the opportunity to speak, according to a report from MLive.
“I’m cool, man,” he told the court. “It is what it is.”
The remark drew sharp criticism from the victim’s family. Williams’ mother, Shontele Lockett, appeared via Zoom and urged the court to impose the harshest possible punishment.
“He needs to get as much time as is permitted,” she said. “He doesn’t show any remorse for anything that he did. He didn’t know the person he killed. He just chose to kill somebody and make jokes about it.”
After the sentence was imposed, applause broke out in the courtroom gallery before the judge restored order.
Prosecutors said the killing was fueled by jealousy, arguing Jones sought to “obliterate the competition” after discovering messages between his fiancee and her former partner.
The case traces back to March 29, 2023, when Jones and his then-fiancee, Markeisha R. Burns-Cross, traveled from Indiana to mid-Michigan for a family event. Burns-Cross had previously dated Williams and the two shared a child.
The couple spent the evening drinking in Bay City before an argument erupted over Jones reportedly speaking to other women, according to testimony from Burns-Cross. Angry with Jones, Burns-Cross then began texting Williams and the two made plans to meet.
The dispute escalated when Jones went through Burns-Cross’ phone and found the messages between her and Williams. Enraged, Jones ordered her to contact Williams and direct him to meet.
The pair then drove to Williams’ duplex in Buena Vista Township.
At the time, Williams was inside the home babysitting children.
Outside, Jones armed himself with a 9 mm handgun and demanded that Burns-Cross get Williams to come out. When that didn’t happen, he followed his girlfriend inside.
Williams was seated at a table when he realized Jones had entered.
“[Williams] looks up and all of a sudden his facial expression changes,” a prosecutor said during trial, per MLive. “He sees Zakeem in that moment.”
Williams attempted to flee, but the front door was locked.
“There’s no escape,” the prosecutor added.
Burns-Cross testified that she heard “pop, pop, pop” and felt heat in front of her face from the shots fired by Jones, MLive previously reported. Williams was struck several times.
Investigators later recovered numerous shell casings and bullet fragments from the scene. Williams was found on the floor, struggling to breathe, and later died at a hospital.
“Devon Williams was unarmed in his own home and had no idea what was coming,” the prosecutor said. “He lost a battle he didn’t know he was fighting … in a cold-blooded, premeditated ambush.”
Jones and his girlfriend fled the scene and returned to Indiana the next day.
He remained at large for more than a year before authorities took him into custody in September 2024 as he was being released from prison in Illinois on an unrelated case. He was then extradited to Michigan to face charges.
Burns-Cross is currently facing five criminal charges, including first-degree murder. She reportedly testified against Jones without a plea deal in place. She is currently scheduled to appear in court on April 15 for a settlement conference, records show.
Â
