Two plead no contest in killing at wake

Kim Smith

Friday, Oct. 18, 2002 | 11:09 a.m.

Two of the five men charged in connection with the fatal drive-by shooting of a North Las Vegas woman at a wake have pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit murder.

A third defendant was scheduled to do so this morning.

Jamon Brooks, 23, and Anthony Hampton, 18, acknowledged in court this week that prosecutor Ed Kane has enough evidence to convict them in the May 25, 2001, shooting death of 35-year-old Gwendolyn Jones.

Brooks entered his plea Wednesday and Hampton entered his this morning. Perry Macklin Jr., 21, was expected to enter the same plea today.

Nine other charges against the men -- ranging from murder to attempted murder and discharging a firearm out of a vehicle to promote, further or assist a gang -- will be dismissed.

Kane told District Judge Sally Loehrer that Joey Clark was beaten during a confrontation along the Martin Luther King Day Parade route Jan. 13, 2001. Then several weeks later Clark was shot and charges were filed against Charles Holmes in connection with the incident, but were later dismissed at Clark's insistence, Kane said.

"He apparently preferred a program of self-help rather than the judicial system," Kane said.

Five months later, on May 25, 2001, Kane said Brooks saw Holmes at a home on West Avenue attending a wake, and a drive-by shooting was planned.

Kane alleges Corey Johnson gave a gun to Macklin who gave it to Clark. After the shooting, Macklin then got rid of the weapon.

The defendants were arrested quickly, but ended up being freed due to a lack of evidence.

Seven months later, the group was indicted after police spotted an AK-47 assault rifle inside a parked car by a gathering of people -- including Hampton -- on a street corner.

Police determined through ballistics that it was the gun used in the slaying.

Brooks and Johnson will go to trial March 24.

Kane said he offered the group deals because of evidentiary problems.

"As usual in gang cases, we had witness problems," Kane said. "Hundreds of people saw it, but if you have two people who are willing to testify you're lucky."

Kane also noted that Brooks, Macklin and Hampton were not in the car when the shooting actually took place. Of the two men who are alleged to have been in the car with Clark, one was killed and the police don't have enough evidence to charge the other, Kane said.