October 5, 2025 • 30 mins
His name ran in national headlines as the so-called “casino follower.” The courtroom called him something else: “not guilty.”
After four years behind bars without bail, Jekai Reid-John joins LFTG Radio for his first exclusive interview, sitting down with his father Dwayne Reid to set the record straight.
Together, they walk through the truth behind the case:
• A first trial miscast as a hung jury, when jurors had already acquitted Jekai on the most serious charges.
• A second trial ending in full acquittal, with the last conspiracy charge dismissed days later.
• The casino footage cut to fit a narrative, versus the full story of that night.
• The evidence gaps — a 9mm gun found elsewhere against .380 casings at the scene, no DNA, no possession charge in Pennsylvania.
• And the co-defendant’s plea deal and testimony, blaming Jekai while he himself was caught trying to board a flight to Dubai.
Through it all, the heart of this story is family. Dwayne reflects on the cost of fighting a case this big — financial, emotional, spiritual — and the strength he drew from his son’s composure. Jekai speaks on “minute by minute” freedom, rebuilding with his children, repairing time with his father, and turning his survival into service for others still trapped in a system that assumes guilt first.
This isn’t courtroom spin — it’s the exclusive story of resilience, loyalty, and truth told in their own words.
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Not for clicks — for clarity.
Good morning and Godspeed.
— Elliott Carterr
Subscribe to our YouTube @LFTGRadio and check out the website LFTGRadio.com for live updates!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
Because you look so much like your pops.
I got that boom.
All right.
Good morning, God speaks.
Your boy Elliot Carter reportinglive from the gutter.
Today we're sitting down with ayoung man whose name's been in
(00:20):
headlines, courtrooms, andbarbershop conversations.
Jakai Reed John, also here withhis pops, Dwayne Reed.
And uh, yeah, we're gonna talkabout him being accused of
murder, painted by the press asthe man who followed a casino
winner home and then acquittedin court.
His story is one of trial,resilience, and the bond between
(00:42):
father and son.
I want this conversation to godeeper to headlines.
As always, not for clicks, forclarity.
Today you're gonna hear directlyfrom Jakai and his pops in their
own words, you know, giving themtheir own chance to paint the
narrative how it should be.
What's going on, Jakai?
How you doing?
What's going on?
Uh, how's everything with you?
(01:04):
Uh, introduce yourself, yourdad, and and let them know your
socials and where they can findyou.
SPEAKER_03 (01:09):
So, um, I'm Jakai Reed, of course.
Um, it's my father, Dwayne Reed.
Um, you gotta uh find me on youon Instagram.
I don't you know do too manysocials.
So you know you can find me onInstagram at uh sporty s
p-o-r-t-y, period, m-o-d-e,sporty mode.
Um you follow me, I follow back.
SPEAKER_01 (01:32):
Okay, cool, cool, cool.
Let's get into uh you decidingto speak out and uh you know
give your your own voice to thestory.
Uh what made you what made youreach out to me and LFTG Radio?
SPEAKER_03 (01:50):
Um, well, you know, my father's doing all the
digging.
So I um I was I was justreleased.
I'm still trying to figure outhow to work the phones and
everything like that.
So my father's been doing allthe digging.
He's been digging for fouryears.
So, you know, when he findssomething, when he finds
something intriguing, he tellsme about it.
So he uh he he he he he calledme, he told me, you know, he uh
(02:12):
he found the article that was itwas it was more so in our favor,
you know.
I mean it was it was it was muchcloser to the truth than the
rest of them.
So um I decided to reach out.
SPEAKER_01 (02:24):
Okay, you know, I definitely appreciate I
definitely appreciate you, Pops,for uh sharing that with your
son.
And uh, you know, giving uh myplatform the acknowledgement,
that's that's greatlyappreciated.
It means a lot to have uh Jakarreach out to me and and have the
story come across in his ownvoice.
(02:44):
Uh how has the support been fromyour family, especially from
your father during this thisthis trial and error?
SPEAKER_03 (02:52):
I mean, you know, the support was amazing, you
know what I mean.
I I didn't have a a lot ofsupport, but you know, it was it
was it was a good it was a itwas a good amount to keep me,
you know what I mean, keep meabove water, keep me uh in a
good state of mind, you knowwhat I mean?
I didn't need hundreds of uh ofsupporters, you know what I
mean.
Your family and close friends isall that matters in those
situations.
So, you know, they held me downand it was it was it was I
(03:15):
really couldn't have done itwithout them anyway.
So, you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_01 (03:18):
Do you feel like your community supported you, or
do you feel like they kind oflet you down in the matter?
They kind of sided with themedia.
SPEAKER_03 (03:26):
Uh I mean, like, you know, for for those who know me
in the community, they uh theyknow I I'm not capable of
anything like that.
You know what I mean?
They know my character, theyknow I got I got a good heart.
Um like you know, those crimeswas just like the charges, it
really don't fit me.
You know what I mean?
They don't fit my character.
So, you know, people in thecommunity that know me, they
(03:48):
know that I wasn't capable ofcapable of it.
But, you know, you might havesome people who don't know you
and they'll try to judge youbefore you, you know what I
mean, before you know the the uhthe trial or whatever the case
is, and they disassociatethemselves with the situation.
So, you know, support was youknow half and half is from the
community.
SPEAKER_01 (04:08):
Okay.
When you look back, what do youthink people misunderstand about
you?
SPEAKER_03 (04:18):
Uh like you know, like um basically just the just
the the the cr the crime in umin total, you know what I mean?
The charges in total, you know.
Some people must have theyobviously some people
misunderstood that I'm notcapable of those type of things,
you know what I mean?
Like it's just not in mycharacter to be the, you know,
(04:39):
you know, a person that thatthat could carry those type of
charges.
So I feel like that's thebiggest misunderstanding that
people had about me, you knowwhat I mean?
SPEAKER_01 (04:48):
Yeah, definitely.
How how does it feel, you know,being home now, you know, being
acquitted of that crime?
SPEAKER_03 (04:55):
I mean, it's still it's it's it's still a surreal
feeling to me, you know what Imean.
I'm still trying to, I'm takingit minute by minute.
It's not even day by day, it'sminute by minute with me.
Like I'm I'm just trying, youknow what I mean?
It's it's unreal because youknow, it's a lot of situations
where you know you look into theuh you see these, you see these
dudes who, you know, go away,they do this, they do the, you
know, I mean, do years and yearsbefore it actually comes out.
(05:17):
And for me to be able to defeatthat, that, you know, that 10 to
20 year uh prison bed before itgets overturned, it was it's a
blessing, man.
I I just I can't I can't donothing but be grateful, man.
It's this amazing feeling.
I'm happy it came out the timeit came out, and you know I
mean, I could just I miss fouryears, but it's fours four is
(05:39):
better than 20.
SPEAKER_01 (05:40):
Yeah, definitely.
So you was locked up this wholetime, you never was able to come
home or in bail or anything likethat.
SPEAKER_03 (05:45):
Yeah, no, see, so New Jersey doesn't have bail, so
uh they have a point system, buteven though I didn't have a
point system in New Jersey, Inever been arrested in New
Jersey.
Yeah, so which I understand, butum yeah, I was I was held the
whole time.
(06:07):
Okay, so how much time did youdo in total?
I did four exactly.
Four probably twenty days off offour off of four years.
SPEAKER_02 (06:18):
Yeah, it was uh I think what uh October of uh
October uh 29th?
I think October 26th, yeah,whatever.
And I was thinking four days,four years.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (06:32):
So you had the first trial, which was hung in May,
correct?
SPEAKER_03 (06:42):
Yeah, see, so the thing about the first trial was
that it was it was published asa complete hung jury, and that
that's completely false.
It was actually a partialverdict where I went to trial on
11 charges, which is a lot ofcharges for you know uh um
jurors to kind of understand.
It's very confusing.
(07:03):
So they came back with a withfour acquittals, which was uh
first degree murder, conspiracyto burglary, and two conspiracy
to weapon charges, and they hungon the rest of the charges.
So yeah, it was a partialverdict.
They didn't put out that it wasa partial verdict, you know what
I mean.
So this is mainly one of thereasons why I wanted to sit down
and uh and actually put out whatwas going on.
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
The the truth behind it, yeah.
All right, so the first time wasa uh partial verdict, and then
the second time you got thecomplete acquittal.
SPEAKER_03 (07:36):
Yeah, the complete acquittal, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (07:38):
Okay, so let's go back into October 25th, October
26th.
SPEAKER_02 (07:43):
One second, I'm sorry, but they they they hung
on a second-degree conspiracy tocommit arm robbery, right?
Yeah, they hung.
But then the the yeah, but thenthe prosecutor's office decided
that they they they took enough,they took enough beatings.
So, yeah, I mean they did, theyjust they dropped it and got rid
of that, you know what I mean?
Okay, gotcha.
SPEAKER_01 (08:03):
Let's let's let's go back to October 25th, October
26, 2021, from your perspective.
When did you first notice thevictim at parks?
And uh what did you do afterleaving?
SPEAKER_03 (08:20):
Well, the the the victim was never, he was never
noticed by me.
I never, you know what I'msaying?
I never I never seen him in thecasino.
It wasn't like I was in theretargeting somebody.
I didn't know what the victimlooked like until I got
arrested, and I was able to seewhat was going on.
SPEAKER_01 (08:37):
I think that's important for people to know.
SPEAKER_03 (08:40):
Yeah, yeah, you know, they they try to use the
narrative that I was eyeingsomebody or you know, targeting
scoping somebody in the casino,but that wasn't that.
They never put out the factsthat I gambled in a casino, they
never put out the facts that Iate in a casino, I withdrew
money in the casino.
You know what I'm saying?
I didn't hide my name, I didn't,I didn't the only thing that
probably could have disguisedanything about me was wearing a
(09:01):
COVID mask, which was aroundCOVID time.
SPEAKER_01 (09:03):
Yeah, and that makes complete sense.
SPEAKER_03 (09:06):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:08):
Prosecutors pointed to a casino video in Easy Pass
data showing a white BMW behindthem.
What's your explanation for thattimeline?
SPEAKER_03 (09:19):
Well, explanation for the timeline, you know what
I'm saying?
Like it was just, it was, itwas, it was obviously wasn't me
driving.
I think some uh some newsarticles put put it out that um
the code defendant jumped in thedriver's seat.
Um it the following wasn't mydoing, man.
The whole following thing wasn'tmy doing when the uh situation
(09:40):
was was occurring or whateverhappened at that time.
It was I I wasn't I wasn't Iwasn't there at the time, you
know what I mean.
I left I left the state of NewJersey by myself.
You know what I mean?
I tried my best to try to staycalm and figure out what was
going on.
I didn't find out anything forreal until I got arrested.
SPEAKER_01 (09:58):
And your co-defender was Devon Melka, correct?
SPEAKER_03 (10:01):
Correct.
SPEAKER_01 (10:04):
Jurors heard that the gun recovered near you was a
nine millimeter, but the casingsin the house were 380.
How do you interpret thatmismatch?
SPEAKER_03 (10:15):
Yeah, they they they they recovered a nine millimeter
in an apartment where I used togo to.
It wasn't actually my address,but you know, I used to reside
there with somebody and theyrecovered a nine millimeter.
It wasn't no DNA, no ballistics,they didn't do anything on the
handgun.
Come to find out the handgun wasregistered to somebody who had a
license to carry.
(10:35):
But they you know they used thenarrative that, oh, you know, he
was in a place where handguns,so he's he's familiar with
handguns.
SPEAKER_01 (10:42):
And they didn't find that on you in person at the
time, right?
SPEAKER_03 (10:46):
Yeah, no, I was never charged with that.
Pennsylvania, if they found thaton me, Pennsylvania would have
charged me with it.
Pennsylvania never charged mewith that handgun.
SPEAKER_01 (10:52):
I think that's important for people to know
too, because it is portrayedlike they found it on you in
person.
SPEAKER_03 (10:58):
So yeah, no, yeah, that's that's completely false.
SPEAKER_01 (11:02):
Okay.
You were acquitted of murder andother major accounts.
There's reporting about aremaining conspiracy charge.
What, if anything, is stillactive?
And what can you say about it onrecord?
SPEAKER_03 (11:16):
Nothing's active.
All charges were acquitted, andone was um dismissed on behalf
of the prosecutors.
They went ahead, they dismissedthe charge, they couldn't move
forward with the charge.
See, so the way the uh the waymy case was is very unique
because you know, let's say Iwent to trial and on these 11
charges, and let's say they uhthe jurist was only able to
(11:36):
acquit me of one charge and theyhung on arrest.
Once you pull a charge out ofthis case, because you know it's
one person to all.
So when you pull out one charge,it it dismantles the whole case,
and which was what we weredealing with.
So it violated double jeopardy.
My second trial was doublejeopardy.
They completely ignored it.
I fought through it, you knowwhat I mean, and I was able to
still gain the acquittal.
(11:57):
So the conspiracy to armedrobbery was dismissed about when
was that dismissed, Daddy?
Like three days later, four dayslater.
SPEAKER_02 (12:04):
Yeah, yeah, it was like I got the acquittal, I got
the quittal on a Friday, it wasdismissed on a Tuesday.
Tuesday, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (12:11):
Okay.
All right, so let's get intoDevon a little bit.
You went to trial, he took aplea.
How does his plea square withyour position and your verdict?
SPEAKER_03 (12:24):
So um, in exchange for his plea was for a truthful
testimony, um he had to take astand, which was which was done
multiple times.
Um took the standard during yourtrial.
Yeah, he took a stand during mytrial.
He was to obviously give atruthful testimony, which was
completely false.
(12:45):
He spun the narrative, puteverything on me, and you know,
I had to go to trial with that,you know what I mean?
So that's about far as it goeswith his plea.
I don't know what's happeningwith his plea right now, I don't
know what they're doing with it,but um last time I checked,
yeah, he took a plea 15 years inexchange for a truthful
testimony.
SPEAKER_01 (13:05):
Wow.
So when he took the stand, whatexactly did he say?
SPEAKER_03 (13:13):
What did he say, man?
He said he basically basicallyeverything was was was yo, he
did it, everything was his idea.
This is what I get into, butthis is what he did that night,
right?
It was set on a stand, you knowwhat I mean?
So multiple times it was he tookthe standard.
SPEAKER_01 (13:35):
Did he put the following on you?
Say it again.
Did he put the following on you?
Did he say it was you thatfollowed the the the victim and
identified him?
SPEAKER_03 (13:47):
He yes, he actually did say I picked out the victim.
He said, um, but he said more sothe following was him, and tried
to use a take and turns tactic,but you know what I mean.
The casino footage basically thecasino footage basically showed
that it wasn't a take and turnstactic.
It was never a take and turnstactic.
What the prosecutors did andwhat Parse Casino did was they
(14:08):
cropped the videos, they made acompilation, and it was only a
five to ten minute compilation,and they stretched it out and
produced it to the jurors tomake it look like I was doing
something I wasn't doing.
They took away all the videos ofme gambling, they took away the
videos of me at the bettingkiosk, me eating, it took away
all that.
So they made a compilation, itmade it look like we were doing
something that we weren't doing,I wasn't doing, and that's how I
(14:32):
went with that.
SPEAKER_01 (14:35):
So let me ask you this.
Do you think this was Devon'smotivation the whole time?
Do you think he had this thisidea planned out in his head?
Do you think he wanted to gothrough with this and kind of
use you to go through with it?
SPEAKER_03 (14:51):
Absolutely.
Him being arrested, absolutely,from the start.
You know what I mean?
From the start.
It was it was all it was allpre-planned.
You know what I mean?
Just just just off of the see,you know, the the the the the
biggest thing is the way that itwas published that it was me.
I guess because I was the firstarrested, he was arrested days
(15:12):
later.
So they needed to put it onsomebody.
And um so basically, so sincethen they put it on me, he was
able to run with the narrativethat it was me.
He was able to cook his ownstory up.
SPEAKER_02 (15:26):
Listen, real quick, my my son during that time had
his own business and everything,right?
He was doing doing doing well,you know.
That from my understanding, thatdude was on a run from Florida
or something.
So, you know what I mean?
Like with his back against thewall, ain't no telling what he,
you know what I mean, like whathe was willing to do.
You know, if you look at whenwhen my son was arrested, it was
(15:52):
the the following morning,right?
They found him, they found thatother guy boarding a plane to
Dubai.
Like he has no connect, you knowwhat I'm saying?
Like, you know what I mean?
Like he has no connections toDubai that I know of.
Um, you know, so that's arunner, yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (16:12):
You know what I mean?
And that was big in the trial,too.
It was big in the trial that Iwas arrested in front of an
apartment and somebody else wasarrested at a gate going to
Dubai, you know what I mean?
That it played a major part inuh the acquittals, it played a
major part in the acquittals.
SPEAKER_01 (16:27):
I think it also played a major part that you
decided to go to trial and hedecided to cop out, you know.
Correct.
Absolutely, absolutely.
How did you uh how did you knowDevon?
How did you meet him originally?
Where did your relationship fromwith him stem from?
SPEAKER_03 (16:44):
Uh we was always cool, man.
We met in middle school, youknow what I mean.
That was a you know, it was ahomie, you know, like a like a
not basically not a best friendto smite you with every day, but
you know, an associate, you knowwhat I mean?
So, you know, back 2007, 2008,you know, you got your circle of
friends, there's somebody thatwas always around here and
there.
You you talk to him, you hangwith him, but you know, it
doesn't go any further thanthat.
(17:05):
But you know, it was just a itwas just a it was just a regular
let's let's go kick at night.
Somebody had different plans.
You can't see what somebody elseis thinking, you know what I
mean?
So knowing him prior to this,that you knew he engaged in
these type of activities, likethis was his it it it see that
you know the type of the type ofpeople that I hang out with,
(17:27):
man, I try to surround myselfwith they might not be perfect,
but they they not running aroundcommitting murders, man.
I ain't I can't surround myselfaround that type of that type of
stuff, man, because you know,you know, it's it's it's it's
dangerous out here.
People you don't know, you don'tyou don't know certain people uh
agendas or whatever the case is.
(17:47):
So I try to surround myself withpeople that I that I that I that
I know keep themselves or holdthemselves to a certain uh
certain value.
You know what I mean?
And you know, this was somethingthis was a person I
misinterpreted, obviously.
Uh in the trial, my lawyer usedthe word manipulator a lot.
Um, and then you know, that'sbasically how we got to view it
(18:09):
right now.
You know what I mean?
It was all manipulation.
SPEAKER_01 (18:11):
Yeah, definitely.
All right, we can move alongfrom that and move on to some uh
family and support questions.
What do you think people didn'trealize about the role family
plays when you're fighting thecase of this magnitude?
SPEAKER_03 (18:25):
The money behind it, uh the the stress, you know what
I mean?
My parents are getting a littleolder.
Uh my kids are growing up, youknow what I mean?
So, you know, you know, it'sjust your family got, especially
your close family who's involvedwith you, it's a lot they gotta
deal with, man.
It's a lot of money spent, man.
A lot of money that shouldn'thave been spent, but you know,
(18:49):
it was at the point where it waslike, you know, it's a big case,
it's huge.
You can't, you can't, you know,we see how public defenders act
some days uh during these times.
So I actually had to uh gothrough another lawyer.
I uh paid a first lawyer and Igot in touch with another
lawyer, which is my currentlawyer who who who helped us win
(19:10):
the case.
So yeah, it's a it's a it's amajor setback.
It's a major setback, but youknow, for a victory in the end.
SPEAKER_00 (19:17):
Yeah, definitely.
I think it was uh money wellspent in the end because I don't
think you would have gotten theverdict you did with a public
defendant.
SPEAKER_02 (19:24):
Yeah, nah.
So maybe not even that firstlawyer.
SPEAKER_03 (19:28):
Yeah, not the first lawyer either, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (19:30):
You know what I mean?
He was a ex-prosecutor.
He was um, you know, he was usedto high profile cases also, but
he was an ex-prosecutor, and he,I believe, you know, he I think
was sanctuary at one point intime when I did the research on
him for um for for uh teaching acourse on how to stack a jury,
(19:55):
um, you know, about eliminatingas many blacks as possible as a
prosecutor while he worked inthe prosecutor's office, you
know what I mean?
So yeah, yeah.
So that's crazy.
Yeah, yeah.
So I believe he left uh, youknow, that's probably why he
became a defense attorney,because you know, yeah, it was a
(20:17):
big one.
SPEAKER_01 (20:19):
Um, what's something you learned about your son Jakai
going through this wholeprocess?
SPEAKER_02 (20:26):
Oh man, he's a strong kid, man.
Like he I I learned I learneduh, you know, how to be a man
too from him, you know what Imean?
Because in that situation, Iwouldn't know how you know what
I'm saying, like to go about it,how to go day by day, keeping my
(20:47):
head up, keeping a smile on myface, you know what I'm saying,
not getting, of course, you'regonna get frustrated, you're
gonna get, you know, there'sgonna be ups and downs, but for
the most part, yo, this kidstays strong through the whole
four years, you know what I'msaying?
Like, and and and and that tome, uh, you know, I I hold it in
high I hold him in high regardsand high esteem because not only
(21:10):
because he's my son, man, butyou know what I mean.
That that's that's how a man issupposed to handle this
situation.
Yeah, and he, you know what Imean, and he he he stood ten
toes down, you know what I'msaying?
Like, yeah, all the odds wasagainst him.
Yet he would not call that man'sname.
(21:31):
Yeah, you know what I'm saying?
Yeah, he would not, he wouldvery honorable, yeah.
You know what I'm saying?
I mean, honorable to a folk, youknow what I mean, but you know,
but you know, and he's loyal,you know what I'm saying?
So, but he would not call thatman's name, he would not give
them people that man's name, youknow what I mean?
And that to me, that's the yeah,uh uh man.
(21:54):
Appreciate it, man.
Yeah, appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01 (21:57):
Real stand-up, that's real stand-up, you know.
I do a lot of interviews, and uhI'm interviewing guys on the
other side, people that that youknow took the stand, people that
you know made that violation.
So, you know, it's it'sdefinitely nice to be speaking
to an honorable man and hisfather, you know, his father
being there.
(22:18):
Thank you.
Right.
Uh do you have anything to sayto Mr.
Aravoli's family acquittalsdon't erase their loss?
SPEAKER_03 (22:29):
Absolutely, man.
I I you know I pray for thatfamily every night, man.
I you know, it's just it it itwas it was a it was a it's a
devastating situation that youknow, I mean, an innocent
person, they can't go to thecasino, they can't win money
without, you know, I mean,somebody trying to wash their
pockets, somebody trying to takesomething from somebody.
I've been in a situation wheresomebody tried to take something
(22:50):
from me.
I was shot five times as ajuvenile, and I wouldn't put
somebody else in that situation,man.
I almost lost my life.
I wouldn't, I wouldn't dareattempt to put that on somebody
else.
So for the family, man, I youknow, you you you you you can't
you can't you can't give backwhat you lost, but you know what
I mean.
I just always used to pray everynight, man.
(23:11):
I swear to God, I used to prayevery night that that his family
could make it through what theywas going through, and that, you
know what I mean, that you know,that the system wouldn't
manipulate them and and makethem believe something.
I know it's hard.
You see somebody's face on thenews, you know what I mean?
You're thinking, man, isn't isthis the person?
It has to be the person theydid, you know what I mean.
I just prayed that the truthcame out one day and that, you
(23:33):
know what I mean, that theythey'll be able to, you know,
just accept my apologies forwhat happened.
Like, you know what I mean?
Like, I wasn't the actor whodone the crimes, but I apologize
to them for them having to gothrough that because of somebody
that I know, you know what Imean?
Somebody that I know was behinda certain situation, you know
(23:55):
what I mean.
So it's a terrible situation,man.
So I I to them, you know, thedaughter, the son, the wife,
whoever knew them, whoeverworked with them, man.
I I I my condolences 100%.
SPEAKER_01 (24:09):
Absolutely, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (24:11):
We also we also would like to have justice for
that family, too, man.
Like the prosecutors gotta do,they gotta do the right thing
and get that family justice, youknow what I mean?
Because two innocent lives wereaffected, you know what I mean?
Like Jacob, my son is innocent,and and uh and Cherie, he was
innocent, you know what I mean?
(24:31):
Uh you know, uh a sociopathbasically is responsible for
almost taking down, you know,for destroying the MA2 families.
Yeah, yeah, three, three.
Yeah, you're right.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (24:49):
Uh now that this chapter is behind you and your
pops, what do you two want tobuild forward moving together?
SPEAKER_03 (24:58):
Man, I I kind of right now I'm kind of looking at
my father as my manager in this,you know what I mean?
So I'm I'm trying to, I it'slike, you know what I mean?
Like with me, I feel like Inever knew my calling in life.
And I feel like this right here100% is my calling, man.
I want to I want to speak out, Iwant to step up because uh uh uh
uh uh injustice anywhere is athreat to justice everywhere,
(25:20):
you know what I mean.
So, you know, those who areinnocent that sitting in prison
right now, those who are beingaccused of things that they that
they that they've never done.
Like I actually had a bunky, youknow what I mean.
I stay in touch with him everyday, man.
He was my bunky for a while.
He's going through the similarsituation with me, man.
And it's it's it's terrible thatthey're doing it, you know what
(25:40):
I mean.
It's like these prosecutors puta blindfold on and just and just
randomly pick a person to bewhatever charged exactly, you
know what I mean.
You know, I I sat in that countyfor four years and I watched
it's a revolving door, man.
It's terrible, man.
I watched it, I watched peoplego down prison for crimes they
(26:02):
committed, people go to prisonfor crimes they didn't commit,
you know what I mean?
And it it's no evidence, theydon't they don't use evidence
there, man.
Ain't no evidence there.
So I want to I want to getinvolved, man, and just you know
what I mean, try to make achange.
Like, you know, I mean, the dayI got my quittles, man, you
know, I walked on the unit,everybody cheered for me.
Everybody cheered, everybody waskicking the doors, everybody
was, you know, I mean, everybodywas happy.
(26:23):
So I feel the more I feel themotivation I'm giving them.
Everybody, you know, they talkto me like, yo, man, how was
trial?
I want to go now.
I want to go too.
So I'm like, man, you know what?
Just you gotta keep your hope,keep fighting.
Never give up, man.
You know what I'm saying?
Never give up.
So I want to I definitely wantto be the voice behind that,
man.
That prison, the prison and thesystem is is is messed up.
(26:43):
System wasn't designed for it.
So I want to kind of help adjustas much as I can, you know what
I mean?
SPEAKER_01 (26:49):
Yeah, definitely.
Not many people get toexperience what you did.
You know, you was fighting foryour life, and uh you came out
on top because if it would haveplayed out another way, you
could have been gone for 20, 25years, you know.
So yeah, so you came outvictorious, and you know,
(27:09):
congratulations to you on that.
I appreciate it, brother.
So, what's next?
SPEAKER_03 (27:16):
Next, man, is just trying to, you know, you can't
get back for lost time.
Um so what I'm gonna do now isman, I'm just trying to, you
know, reach out as much aspossible, man, to see if I could
kind of reverse a lot of thenarratives, a lot of the you
know, the picture.
And you know, this is a start,man.
So I appreciate you 100% forsitting down with me.
(27:36):
I talked about this while I wasbehind that wall, man.
I'm like, yo, man, I can't waitto go do my interviews, man.
I want to speak out about this.
So I'm happy, man, that this wasyou was able to give me an
opportunity.
So it's just keep going down thesame road, man.
I'm trying to go down the sameroad and you know, just try to
adjust, man.
Try to adjust and try to try touh recreate this the system as
(27:58):
much as possible, man.
That's that's that's the nextstep for me.
SPEAKER_01 (28:01):
Yeah, I think uh I'm looking forward to hearing from
you in the future and you know,hearing about fatherhood and you
know what you got going on withyour dad and seeing what's next.
SPEAKER_02 (28:12):
Yeah, we got we got a lot of time to make, we got
time to make up, man.
You know, you know, we got twosons that you know hasn't seen
their dad in you know in fouryears, so he gotta mend that
relationship, you know what Imean?
And you and I, him and I gotta,you know what I'm saying?
We got a lot of building to dowith our relationship too, you
know.
SPEAKER_01 (28:31):
So yeah, it's beautiful to see a uh a black
father live for his son, youknow, because they try to paint
the narrative that you knowwe're not there for our kids.
SPEAKER_02 (28:41):
Yeah, I mean, you know, it it's very it's false
because a lot, like 90, 95% ofmy friends, they've always been
about their kids, always they'reyou know, raised their kids, all
of that, man, always been intheir kids' lives.
So I mean, yeah, there's someyou know, there's some bad dads
out there, but that's across allcommunities, you know what I
(29:02):
mean.
SPEAKER_01 (29:02):
It's funny that you look at him like your manager
because when you emailed me, Ithought I thought you was
Jakai's son emailing me becauseI'm like, oh, this this kid's
son found me, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (29:21):
Yeah, yeah, that was yeah, that was me.
SPEAKER_03 (29:25):
Yeah, everything, anything, anything I tried to
do, man.
He he he pushed it, he wasbehind it, man.
I tried the rap thing, he wasthere pushing it, you know what
I mean?
So 100%, man, 100%.
Good father, man.
Good father.
SPEAKER_01 (29:37):
Great father, man.
Appreciate it.
This is just about a case, it'sabout what it takes to survive a
system, and that that systemoften assumes guilt before
truth.
Definitely walk free when theworld expected otherwise.
Thank you for speaking with us,pops from especially down
through it all, and to thepeople watching, don't just read
(29:59):
the Headlines, don't just uhlisten for official reports,
listen to the human beingsbehind them.
SPEAKER_00 (30:07):
Absolutely, definitely.
SPEAKER_01 (30:09):
Good morning, and God speed to the world.
Lftgradio.com.
Y'all make sure y'all like,follow, and subscribe.
And uh, yeah, that's a wrap.
We appreciate you sitting withus, Jacob.
No problem, bro.
Anytime, man.
Just call.
I'm here.
SPEAKER_02 (30:23):
Thank you, man.
Appreciate you, man.
Keep doing what you do, man.
Keep pushing.
We're gonna spread it.
We're gonna push it out there.
I'm letting everybody know aboutyour, you know what I'm saying?
Your channel, your YouTube, youknow, your YouTube, your
website, yeah, everything, man.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, 100%.
100%, bro.
SPEAKER_01 (30:41):
No.
Because you look so much like your pops.
I got that boom.
All right.
Good morning, God speaks.
Your boy Elliot Carter reportinglive from the gutter.
Today we're sitting down with ayoung man whose name's been in
(00:20):
headlines, courtrooms, andbarbershop conversations.
Jakai Reed John, also here withhis pops, Dwayne Reed.
And uh, yeah, we're gonna talkabout him being accused of
murder, painted by the press asthe man who followed a casino
winner home and then acquittedin court.
His story is one of trial,resilience, and the bond between
(00:42):
father and son.
I want this conversation to godeeper to headlines.
As always, not for clicks, forclarity.
Today you're gonna hear directlyfrom Jakai and his pops in their
own words, you know, giving themtheir own chance to paint the
narrative how it should be.
What's going on, Jakai?
How you doing?
What's going on?
Uh, how's everything with you?
(01:04):
Uh, introduce yourself, yourdad, and and let them know your
socials and where they can findyou.
SPEAKER_03 (01:09):
So, um, I'm Jakai Reed, of course.
Um, it's my father, Dwayne Reed.
Um, you gotta uh find me on youon Instagram.
I don't you know do too manysocials.
So you know you can find me onInstagram at uh sporty s
p-o-r-t-y, period, m-o-d-e,sporty mode.
Um you follow me, I follow back.
SPEAKER_01 (01:32):
Okay, cool, cool, cool.
Let's get into uh you decidingto speak out and uh you know
give your your own voice to thestory.
Uh what made you what made youreach out to me and LFTG Radio?
SPEAKER_03 (01:50):
Um, well, you know, my father's doing all the
digging.
So I um I was I was justreleased.
I'm still trying to figure outhow to work the phones and
everything like that.
So my father's been doing allthe digging.
He's been digging for fouryears.
So, you know, when he findssomething, when he finds
something intriguing, he tellsme about it.
So he uh he he he he he calledme, he told me, you know, he uh
(02:12):
he found the article that was itwas it was more so in our favor,
you know.
I mean it was it was it was muchcloser to the truth than the
rest of them.
So um I decided to reach out.
SPEAKER_01 (02:24):
Okay, you know, I definitely appreciate I
definitely appreciate you, Pops,for uh sharing that with your
son.
And uh, you know, giving uh myplatform the acknowledgement,
that's that's greatlyappreciated.
It means a lot to have uh Jakarreach out to me and and have the
story come across in his ownvoice.
(02:44):
Uh how has the support been fromyour family, especially from
your father during this thisthis trial and error?
SPEAKER_03 (02:52):
I mean, you know, the support was amazing, you
know what I mean.
I I didn't have a a lot ofsupport, but you know, it was it
was it was a good it was a itwas a good amount to keep me,
you know what I mean, keep meabove water, keep me uh in a
good state of mind, you knowwhat I mean?
I didn't need hundreds of uh ofsupporters, you know what I
mean.
Your family and close friends isall that matters in those
situations.
So, you know, they held me downand it was it was it was I
(03:15):
really couldn't have done itwithout them anyway.
So, you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_01 (03:18):
Do you feel like your community supported you, or
do you feel like they kind oflet you down in the matter?
They kind of sided with themedia.
SPEAKER_03 (03:26):
Uh I mean, like, you know, for for those who know me
in the community, they uh theyknow I I'm not capable of
anything like that.
You know what I mean?
They know my character, theyknow I got I got a good heart.
Um like you know, those crimeswas just like the charges, it
really don't fit me.
You know what I mean?
They don't fit my character.
So, you know, people in thecommunity that know me, they
(03:48):
know that I wasn't capable ofcapable of it.
But, you know, you might havesome people who don't know you
and they'll try to judge youbefore you, you know what I
mean, before you know the the uhthe trial or whatever the case
is, and they disassociatethemselves with the situation.
So, you know, support was youknow half and half is from the
community.
SPEAKER_01 (04:08):
Okay.
When you look back, what do youthink people misunderstand about
you?
SPEAKER_03 (04:18):
Uh like you know, like um basically just the just
the the the cr the crime in umin total, you know what I mean?
The charges in total, you know.
Some people must have theyobviously some people
misunderstood that I'm notcapable of those type of things,
you know what I mean?
Like it's just not in mycharacter to be the, you know,
(04:39):
you know, a person that thatthat could carry those type of
charges.
So I feel like that's thebiggest misunderstanding that
people had about me, you knowwhat I mean?
SPEAKER_01 (04:48):
Yeah, definitely.
How how does it feel, you know,being home now, you know, being
acquitted of that crime?
SPEAKER_03 (04:55):
I mean, it's still it's it's it's still a surreal
feeling to me, you know what Imean.
I'm still trying to, I'm takingit minute by minute.
It's not even day by day, it'sminute by minute with me.
Like I'm I'm just trying, youknow what I mean?
It's it's unreal because youknow, it's a lot of situations
where you know you look into theuh you see these, you see these
dudes who, you know, go away,they do this, they do the, you
know, I mean, do years and yearsbefore it actually comes out.
(05:17):
And for me to be able to defeatthat, that, you know, that 10 to
20 year uh prison bed before itgets overturned, it was it's a
blessing, man.
I I just I can't I can't donothing but be grateful, man.
It's this amazing feeling.
I'm happy it came out the timeit came out, and you know I
mean, I could just I miss fouryears, but it's fours four is
(05:39):
better than 20.
SPEAKER_01 (05:40):
Yeah, definitely.
So you was locked up this wholetime, you never was able to come
home or in bail or anything likethat.
SPEAKER_03 (05:45):
Yeah, no, see, so New Jersey doesn't have bail, so
uh they have a point system, buteven though I didn't have a
point system in New Jersey, Inever been arrested in New
Jersey.
Yeah, so which I understand, butum yeah, I was I was held the
whole time.
(06:07):
Okay, so how much time did youdo in total?
I did four exactly.
Four probably twenty days off offour off of four years.
SPEAKER_02 (06:18):
Yeah, it was uh I think what uh October of uh
October uh 29th?
I think October 26th, yeah,whatever.
And I was thinking four days,four years.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (06:32):
So you had the first trial, which was hung in May,
correct?
SPEAKER_03 (06:42):
Yeah, see, so the thing about the first trial was
that it was it was published asa complete hung jury, and that
that's completely false.
It was actually a partialverdict where I went to trial on
11 charges, which is a lot ofcharges for you know uh um
jurors to kind of understand.
It's very confusing.
(07:03):
So they came back with a withfour acquittals, which was uh
first degree murder, conspiracyto burglary, and two conspiracy
to weapon charges, and they hungon the rest of the charges.
So yeah, it was a partialverdict.
They didn't put out that it wasa partial verdict, you know what
I mean.
So this is mainly one of thereasons why I wanted to sit down
and uh and actually put out whatwas going on.
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
The the truth behind it, yeah.
All right, so the first time wasa uh partial verdict, and then
the second time you got thecomplete acquittal.
SPEAKER_03 (07:36):
Yeah, the complete acquittal, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (07:38):
Okay, so let's go back into October 25th, October
26th.
SPEAKER_02 (07:43):
One second, I'm sorry, but they they they hung
on a second-degree conspiracy tocommit arm robbery, right?
Yeah, they hung.
But then the the yeah, but thenthe prosecutor's office decided
that they they they took enough,they took enough beatings.
So, yeah, I mean they did, theyjust they dropped it and got rid
of that, you know what I mean?
Okay, gotcha.
SPEAKER_01 (08:03):
Let's let's let's go back to October 25th, October
26, 2021, from your perspective.
When did you first notice thevictim at parks?
And uh what did you do afterleaving?
SPEAKER_03 (08:20):
Well, the the the victim was never, he was never
noticed by me.
I never, you know what I'msaying?
I never I never seen him in thecasino.
It wasn't like I was in theretargeting somebody.
I didn't know what the victimlooked like until I got
arrested, and I was able to seewhat was going on.
SPEAKER_01 (08:37):
I think that's important for people to know.
SPEAKER_03 (08:40):
Yeah, yeah, you know, they they try to use the
narrative that I was eyeingsomebody or you know, targeting
scoping somebody in the casino,but that wasn't that.
They never put out the factsthat I gambled in a casino, they
never put out the facts that Iate in a casino, I withdrew
money in the casino.
You know what I'm saying?
I didn't hide my name, I didn't,I didn't the only thing that
probably could have disguisedanything about me was wearing a
(09:01):
COVID mask, which was aroundCOVID time.
SPEAKER_01 (09:03):
Yeah, and that makes complete sense.
SPEAKER_03 (09:06):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:08):
Prosecutors pointed to a casino video in Easy Pass
data showing a white BMW behindthem.
What's your explanation for thattimeline?
SPEAKER_03 (09:19):
Well, explanation for the timeline, you know what
I'm saying?
Like it was just, it was, itwas, it was obviously wasn't me
driving.
I think some uh some newsarticles put put it out that um
the code defendant jumped in thedriver's seat.
Um it the following wasn't mydoing, man.
The whole following thing wasn'tmy doing when the uh situation
(09:40):
was was occurring or whateverhappened at that time.
It was I I wasn't I wasn't Iwasn't there at the time, you
know what I mean.
I left I left the state of NewJersey by myself.
You know what I mean?
I tried my best to try to staycalm and figure out what was
going on.
I didn't find out anything forreal until I got arrested.
SPEAKER_01 (09:58):
And your co-defender was Devon Melka, correct?
SPEAKER_03 (10:01):
Correct.
SPEAKER_01 (10:04):
Jurors heard that the gun recovered near you was a
nine millimeter, but the casingsin the house were 380.
How do you interpret thatmismatch?
SPEAKER_03 (10:15):
Yeah, they they they they recovered a nine millimeter
in an apartment where I used togo to.
It wasn't actually my address,but you know, I used to reside
there with somebody and theyrecovered a nine millimeter.
It wasn't no DNA, no ballistics,they didn't do anything on the
handgun.
Come to find out the handgun wasregistered to somebody who had a
license to carry.
(10:35):
But they you know they used thenarrative that, oh, you know, he
was in a place where handguns,so he's he's familiar with
handguns.
SPEAKER_01 (10:42):
And they didn't find that on you in person at the
time, right?
SPEAKER_03 (10:46):
Yeah, no, I was never charged with that.
Pennsylvania, if they found thaton me, Pennsylvania would have
charged me with it.
Pennsylvania never charged mewith that handgun.
SPEAKER_01 (10:52):
I think that's important for people to know
too, because it is portrayedlike they found it on you in
person.
SPEAKER_03 (10:58):
So yeah, no, yeah, that's that's completely false.
SPEAKER_01 (11:02):
Okay.
You were acquitted of murder andother major accounts.
There's reporting about aremaining conspiracy charge.
What, if anything, is stillactive?
And what can you say about it onrecord?
SPEAKER_03 (11:16):
Nothing's active.
All charges were acquitted, andone was um dismissed on behalf
of the prosecutors.
They went ahead, they dismissedthe charge, they couldn't move
forward with the charge.
See, so the way the uh the waymy case was is very unique
because you know, let's say Iwent to trial and on these 11
charges, and let's say they uhthe jurist was only able to
(11:36):
acquit me of one charge and theyhung on arrest.
Once you pull a charge out ofthis case, because you know it's
one person to all.
So when you pull out one charge,it it dismantles the whole case,
and which was what we weredealing with.
So it violated double jeopardy.
My second trial was doublejeopardy.
They completely ignored it.
I fought through it, you knowwhat I mean, and I was able to
still gain the acquittal.
(11:57):
So the conspiracy to armedrobbery was dismissed about when
was that dismissed, Daddy?
Like three days later, four dayslater.
SPEAKER_02 (12:04):
Yeah, yeah, it was like I got the acquittal, I got
the quittal on a Friday, it wasdismissed on a Tuesday.
Tuesday, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (12:11):
Okay.
All right, so let's get intoDevon a little bit.
You went to trial, he took aplea.
How does his plea square withyour position and your verdict?
SPEAKER_03 (12:24):
So um, in exchange for his plea was for a truthful
testimony, um he had to take astand, which was which was done
multiple times.
Um took the standard during yourtrial.
Yeah, he took a stand during mytrial.
He was to obviously give atruthful testimony, which was
completely false.
(12:45):
He spun the narrative, puteverything on me, and you know,
I had to go to trial with that,you know what I mean?
So that's about far as it goeswith his plea.
I don't know what's happeningwith his plea right now, I don't
know what they're doing with it,but um last time I checked,
yeah, he took a plea 15 years inexchange for a truthful
testimony.
SPEAKER_01 (13:05):
Wow.
So when he took the stand, whatexactly did he say?
SPEAKER_03 (13:13):
What did he say, man?
He said he basically basicallyeverything was was was yo, he
did it, everything was his idea.
This is what I get into, butthis is what he did that night,
right?
It was set on a stand, you knowwhat I mean?
So multiple times it was he tookthe standard.
SPEAKER_01 (13:35):
Did he put the following on you?
Say it again.
Did he put the following on you?
Did he say it was you thatfollowed the the the victim and
identified him?
SPEAKER_03 (13:47):
He yes, he actually did say I picked out the victim.
He said, um, but he said more sothe following was him, and tried
to use a take and turns tactic,but you know what I mean.
The casino footage basically thecasino footage basically showed
that it wasn't a take and turnstactic.
It was never a take and turnstactic.
What the prosecutors did andwhat Parse Casino did was they
(14:08):
cropped the videos, they made acompilation, and it was only a
five to ten minute compilation,and they stretched it out and
produced it to the jurors tomake it look like I was doing
something I wasn't doing.
They took away all the videos ofme gambling, they took away the
videos of me at the bettingkiosk, me eating, it took away
all that.
So they made a compilation, itmade it look like we were doing
something that we weren't doing,I wasn't doing, and that's how I
(14:32):
went with that.
SPEAKER_01 (14:35):
So let me ask you this.
Do you think this was Devon'smotivation the whole time?
Do you think he had this thisidea planned out in his head?
Do you think he wanted to gothrough with this and kind of
use you to go through with it?
SPEAKER_03 (14:51):
Absolutely.
Him being arrested, absolutely,from the start.
You know what I mean?
From the start.
It was it was all it was allpre-planned.
You know what I mean?
Just just just off of the see,you know, the the the the the
biggest thing is the way that itwas published that it was me.
I guess because I was the firstarrested, he was arrested days
(15:12):
later.
So they needed to put it onsomebody.
And um so basically, so sincethen they put it on me, he was
able to run with the narrativethat it was me.
He was able to cook his ownstory up.
SPEAKER_02 (15:26):
Listen, real quick, my my son during that time had
his own business and everything,right?
He was doing doing doing well,you know.
That from my understanding, thatdude was on a run from Florida
or something.
So, you know what I mean?
Like with his back against thewall, ain't no telling what he,
you know what I mean, like whathe was willing to do.
You know, if you look at whenwhen my son was arrested, it was
(15:52):
the the following morning,right?
They found him, they found thatother guy boarding a plane to
Dubai.
Like he has no connect, you knowwhat I'm saying?
Like, you know what I mean?
Like he has no connections toDubai that I know of.
Um, you know, so that's arunner, yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (16:12):
You know what I mean?
And that was big in the trial,too.
It was big in the trial that Iwas arrested in front of an
apartment and somebody else wasarrested at a gate going to
Dubai, you know what I mean?
That it played a major part inuh the acquittals, it played a
major part in the acquittals.
SPEAKER_01 (16:27):
I think it also played a major part that you
decided to go to trial and hedecided to cop out, you know.
Correct.
Absolutely, absolutely.
How did you uh how did you knowDevon?
How did you meet him originally?
Where did your relationship fromwith him stem from?
SPEAKER_03 (16:44):
Uh we was always cool, man.
We met in middle school, youknow what I mean.
That was a you know, it was ahomie, you know, like a like a
not basically not a best friendto smite you with every day, but
you know, an associate, you knowwhat I mean?
So, you know, back 2007, 2008,you know, you got your circle of
friends, there's somebody thatwas always around here and
there.
You you talk to him, you hangwith him, but you know, it
doesn't go any further thanthat.
(17:05):
But you know, it was just a itwas just a it was just a regular
let's let's go kick at night.
Somebody had different plans.
You can't see what somebody elseis thinking, you know what I
mean?
So knowing him prior to this,that you knew he engaged in
these type of activities, likethis was his it it it see that
you know the type of the type ofpeople that I hang out with,
(17:27):
man, I try to surround myselfwith they might not be perfect,
but they they not running aroundcommitting murders, man.
I ain't I can't surround myselfaround that type of that type of
stuff, man, because you know,you know, it's it's it's it's
dangerous out here.
People you don't know, you don'tyou don't know certain people uh
agendas or whatever the case is.
(17:47):
So I try to surround myself withpeople that I that I that I that
I know keep themselves or holdthemselves to a certain uh
certain value.
You know what I mean?
And you know, this was somethingthis was a person I
misinterpreted, obviously.
Uh in the trial, my lawyer usedthe word manipulator a lot.
Um, and then you know, that'sbasically how we got to view it
(18:09):
right now.
You know what I mean?
It was all manipulation.
SPEAKER_01 (18:11):
Yeah, definitely.
All right, we can move alongfrom that and move on to some uh
family and support questions.
What do you think people didn'trealize about the role family
plays when you're fighting thecase of this magnitude?
SPEAKER_03 (18:25):
The money behind it, uh the the stress, you know what
I mean?
My parents are getting a littleolder.
Uh my kids are growing up, youknow what I mean?
So, you know, you know, it'sjust your family got, especially
your close family who's involvedwith you, it's a lot they gotta
deal with, man.
It's a lot of money spent, man.
A lot of money that shouldn'thave been spent, but you know,
(18:49):
it was at the point where it waslike, you know, it's a big case,
it's huge.
You can't, you can't, you know,we see how public defenders act
some days uh during these times.
So I actually had to uh gothrough another lawyer.
I uh paid a first lawyer and Igot in touch with another
lawyer, which is my currentlawyer who who who helped us win
(19:10):
the case.
So yeah, it's a it's a it's amajor setback.
It's a major setback, but youknow, for a victory in the end.
SPEAKER_00 (19:17):
Yeah, definitely.
I think it was uh money wellspent in the end because I don't
think you would have gotten theverdict you did with a public
defendant.
SPEAKER_02 (19:24):
Yeah, nah.
So maybe not even that firstlawyer.
SPEAKER_03 (19:28):
Yeah, not the first lawyer either, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (19:30):
You know what I mean?
He was a ex-prosecutor.
He was um, you know, he was usedto high profile cases also, but
he was an ex-prosecutor, and he,I believe, you know, he I think
was sanctuary at one point intime when I did the research on
him for um for for uh teaching acourse on how to stack a jury,
(19:55):
um, you know, about eliminatingas many blacks as possible as a
prosecutor while he worked inthe prosecutor's office, you
know what I mean?
So yeah, yeah.
So that's crazy.
Yeah, yeah.
So I believe he left uh, youknow, that's probably why he
became a defense attorney,because you know, yeah, it was a
(20:17):
big one.
SPEAKER_01 (20:19):
Um, what's something you learned about your son Jakai
going through this wholeprocess?
SPEAKER_02 (20:26):
Oh man, he's a strong kid, man.
Like he I I learned I learneduh, you know, how to be a man
too from him, you know what Imean?
Because in that situation, Iwouldn't know how you know what
I'm saying, like to go about it,how to go day by day, keeping my
(20:47):
head up, keeping a smile on myface, you know what I'm saying,
not getting, of course, you'regonna get frustrated, you're
gonna get, you know, there'sgonna be ups and downs, but for
the most part, yo, this kidstays strong through the whole
four years, you know what I'msaying?
Like, and and and and that tome, uh, you know, I I hold it in
high I hold him in high regardsand high esteem because not only
(21:10):
because he's my son, man, butyou know what I mean.
That that's that's how a man issupposed to handle this
situation.
Yeah, and he, you know what Imean, and he he he stood ten
toes down, you know what I'msaying?
Like, yeah, all the odds wasagainst him.
Yet he would not call that man'sname.
(21:31):
Yeah, you know what I'm saying?
Yeah, he would not, he wouldvery honorable, yeah.
You know what I'm saying?
I mean, honorable to a folk, youknow what I mean, but you know,
but you know, and he's loyal,you know what I'm saying?
So, but he would not call thatman's name, he would not give
them people that man's name, youknow what I mean?
And that to me, that's the yeah,uh uh man.
(21:54):
Appreciate it, man.
Yeah, appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01 (21:57):
Real stand-up, that's real stand-up, you know.
I do a lot of interviews, and uhI'm interviewing guys on the
other side, people that that youknow took the stand, people that
you know made that violation.
So, you know, it's it'sdefinitely nice to be speaking
to an honorable man and hisfather, you know, his father
being there.
(22:18):
Thank you.
Right.
Uh do you have anything to sayto Mr.
Aravoli's family acquittalsdon't erase their loss?
SPEAKER_03 (22:29):
Absolutely, man.
I I you know I pray for thatfamily every night, man.
I you know, it's just it it itwas it was a it was a it's a
devastating situation that youknow, I mean, an innocent
person, they can't go to thecasino, they can't win money
without, you know, I mean,somebody trying to wash their
pockets, somebody trying to takesomething from somebody.
I've been in a situation wheresomebody tried to take something
(22:50):
from me.
I was shot five times as ajuvenile, and I wouldn't put
somebody else in that situation,man.
I almost lost my life.
I wouldn't, I wouldn't dareattempt to put that on somebody
else.
So for the family, man, I youknow, you you you you you can't
you can't you can't give backwhat you lost, but you know what
I mean.
I just always used to pray everynight, man.
(23:11):
I swear to God, I used to prayevery night that that his family
could make it through what theywas going through, and that, you
know what I mean, that you know,that the system wouldn't
manipulate them and and makethem believe something.
I know it's hard.
You see somebody's face on thenews, you know what I mean?
You're thinking, man, isn't isthis the person?
It has to be the person theydid, you know what I mean.
I just prayed that the truthcame out one day and that, you
(23:33):
know what I mean, that theythey'll be able to, you know,
just accept my apologies forwhat happened.
Like, you know what I mean?
Like, I wasn't the actor whodone the crimes, but I apologize
to them for them having to gothrough that because of somebody
that I know, you know what Imean?
Somebody that I know was behinda certain situation, you know
(23:55):
what I mean.
So it's a terrible situation,man.
So I I to them, you know, thedaughter, the son, the wife,
whoever knew them, whoeverworked with them, man.
I I I my condolences 100%.
SPEAKER_01 (24:09):
Absolutely, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (24:11):
We also we also would like to have justice for
that family, too, man.
Like the prosecutors gotta do,they gotta do the right thing
and get that family justice, youknow what I mean?
Because two innocent lives wereaffected, you know what I mean?
Like Jacob, my son is innocent,and and uh and Cherie, he was
innocent, you know what I mean?
(24:31):
Uh you know, uh a sociopathbasically is responsible for
almost taking down, you know,for destroying the MA2 families.
Yeah, yeah, three, three.
Yeah, you're right.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (24:49):
Uh now that this chapter is behind you and your
pops, what do you two want tobuild forward moving together?
SPEAKER_03 (24:58):
Man, I I kind of right now I'm kind of looking at
my father as my manager in this,you know what I mean?
So I'm I'm trying to, I it'slike, you know what I mean?
Like with me, I feel like Inever knew my calling in life.
And I feel like this right here100% is my calling, man.
I want to I want to speak out, Iwant to step up because uh uh uh
uh uh injustice anywhere is athreat to justice everywhere,
(25:20):
you know what I mean.
So, you know, those who areinnocent that sitting in prison
right now, those who are beingaccused of things that they that
they that they've never done.
Like I actually had a bunky, youknow what I mean.
I stay in touch with him everyday, man.
He was my bunky for a while.
He's going through the similarsituation with me, man.
And it's it's it's terrible thatthey're doing it, you know what
(25:40):
I mean.
It's like these prosecutors puta blindfold on and just and just
randomly pick a person to bewhatever charged exactly, you
know what I mean.
You know, I I sat in that countyfor four years and I watched
it's a revolving door, man.
It's terrible, man.
I watched it, I watched peoplego down prison for crimes they
(26:02):
committed, people go to prisonfor crimes they didn't commit,
you know what I mean?
And it it's no evidence, theydon't they don't use evidence
there, man.
Ain't no evidence there.
So I want to I want to getinvolved, man, and just you know
what I mean, try to make achange.
Like, you know, I mean, the dayI got my quittles, man, you
know, I walked on the unit,everybody cheered for me.
Everybody cheered, everybody waskicking the doors, everybody
was, you know, I mean, everybodywas happy.
(26:23):
So I feel the more I feel themotivation I'm giving them.
Everybody, you know, they talkto me like, yo, man, how was
trial?
I want to go now.
I want to go too.
So I'm like, man, you know what?
Just you gotta keep your hope,keep fighting.
Never give up, man.
You know what I'm saying?
Never give up.
So I want to I definitely wantto be the voice behind that,
man.
That prison, the prison and thesystem is is is messed up.
(26:43):
System wasn't designed for it.
So I want to kind of help adjustas much as I can, you know what
I mean?
SPEAKER_01 (26:49):
Yeah, definitely.
Not many people get toexperience what you did.
You know, you was fighting foryour life, and uh you came out
on top because if it would haveplayed out another way, you
could have been gone for 20, 25years, you know.
So yeah, so you came outvictorious, and you know,
(27:09):
congratulations to you on that.
I appreciate it, brother.
So, what's next?
SPEAKER_03 (27:16):
Next, man, is just trying to, you know, you can't
get back for lost time.
Um so what I'm gonna do now isman, I'm just trying to, you
know, reach out as much aspossible, man, to see if I could
kind of reverse a lot of thenarratives, a lot of the you
know, the picture.
And you know, this is a start,man.
So I appreciate you 100% forsitting down with me.
(27:36):
I talked about this while I wasbehind that wall, man.
I'm like, yo, man, I can't waitto go do my interviews, man.
I want to speak out about this.
So I'm happy, man, that this wasyou was able to give me an
opportunity.
So it's just keep going down thesame road, man.
I'm trying to go down the sameroad and you know, just try to
adjust, man.
Try to adjust and try to try touh recreate this the system as
(27:58):
much as possible, man.
That's that's that's the nextstep for me.
SPEAKER_01 (28:01):
Yeah, I think uh I'm looking forward to hearing from
you in the future and you know,hearing about fatherhood and you
know what you got going on withyour dad and seeing what's next.
SPEAKER_02 (28:12):
Yeah, we got we got a lot of time to make, we got
time to make up, man.
You know, you know, we got twosons that you know hasn't seen
their dad in you know in fouryears, so he gotta mend that
relationship, you know what Imean?
And you and I, him and I gotta,you know what I'm saying?
We got a lot of building to dowith our relationship too, you
know.
SPEAKER_01 (28:31):
So yeah, it's beautiful to see a uh a black
father live for his son, youknow, because they try to paint
the narrative that you knowwe're not there for our kids.
SPEAKER_02 (28:41):
Yeah, I mean, you know, it it's very it's false
because a lot, like 90, 95% ofmy friends, they've always been
about their kids, always they'reyou know, raised their kids, all
of that, man, always been intheir kids' lives.
So I mean, yeah, there's someyou know, there's some bad dads
out there, but that's across allcommunities, you know what I
(29:02):
mean.
SPEAKER_01 (29:02):
It's funny that you look at him like your manager
because when you emailed me, Ithought I thought you was
Jakai's son emailing me becauseI'm like, oh, this this kid's
son found me, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (29:21):
Yeah, yeah, that was yeah, that was me.
SPEAKER_03 (29:25):
Yeah, everything, anything, anything I tried to
do, man.
He he he pushed it, he wasbehind it, man.
I tried the rap thing, he wasthere pushing it, you know what
I mean?
So 100%, man, 100%.
Good father, man.
Good father.
SPEAKER_01 (29:37):
Great father, man.
Appreciate it.
This is just about a case, it'sabout what it takes to survive a
system, and that that systemoften assumes guilt before
truth.
Definitely walk free when theworld expected otherwise.
Thank you for speaking with us,pops from especially down
through it all, and to thepeople watching, don't just read
(29:59):
the Headlines, don't just uhlisten for official reports,
listen to the human beingsbehind them.
SPEAKER_00 (30:07):
Absolutely, definitely.
SPEAKER_01 (30:09):
Good morning, and God speed to the world.
Lftgradio.com.
Y'all make sure y'all like,follow, and subscribe.
And uh, yeah, that's a wrap.
We appreciate you sitting withus, Jacob.
No problem, bro.
Anytime, man.
Just call.
I'm here.
SPEAKER_02 (30:23):
Thank you, man.
Appreciate you, man.
Keep doing what you do, man.
Keep pushing.
We're gonna spread it.
We're gonna push it out there.
I'm letting everybody know aboutyour, you know what I'm saying?
Your channel, your YouTube, youknow, your YouTube, your
website, yeah, everything, man.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, 100%.
100%, bro.
SPEAKER_01 (30:41):
No.
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