LOS ANGELES, CA – A chilling murder case has emerged in downtown Los Angeles, resulting in murder charges filed against two men. They were implicated in the execution-style murder of another man while he was having dinner alone at a popular restaurant in the region.
Sidney Barrett Morris, 43, met his untimely end while dining at the Fixins Soul Kitchen around 6:15 p.m. on Nov. 28, 2023, as detailed by a press release from the L.A. County District’s Attorney’s Office.
The report highlighted that Phillip Pasco Clark, 33, and Santana Jermaine Kelly, 50, have been charged with Morris’s murder. Kelly is also facing an additional felony charge for arson of another’s property. As per L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón, Clark shot Morris in the back of the head execution-style.
Morris, known to be an educator, had dedicated his life to nurturing inclusivity and harmony within society. He was also the nephew of a Motown singer. “The brazenness of this shooting is alarming, and my office is fully committed to bringing accountability to those responsible for this heinous crime,” Gascón asserted.
A former coordinator of equity and diversity for Cal State Northridge, Morris was in law school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, at the time of his death.
Authorities claim Clark and Kelly were familiar with each other and were gang members. Apart from planning and executing Morris’s murder, Kelly is also suspected of surveying Morris’s workplace and setting the getaway car on fire to destroy any evidence linked to the crime.
Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges, with their preliminary hearing due to take place on April 25, 2024. If found guilty, Kelly could face a maximum term of 100 years to life in prison, while Clark could be sentenced to 85 years to life in prison.