KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the convictions of three men in the shooting death of 15-year-old Zaevion Dobson after they appealed the decision of the earlier court.
Richard Williams, Kipling Colbert Jr. and Christopher Bassett Jr. were convicted of several felonies after the shooting in December 2015. They are each serving more than 100 years in prison on a slew of counts in the case, and they are all in their 20s.
In their appeal, all three challenged the prosecution's use of a rap video uploaded to YouTube. Prosecutors said that the video revealed gang ties, showing that the three men had interests in gang activities. However, the defendants said that the video had nothing to do with the case and was just an example of artistic expression.
Bassett also challenged the court's decision to deny a motion that would have suppressed his statement to police, while Colbert and Williams challenged the sufficiency of the evidence.
Dobson died shielding friends from gunshots while hanging out with friends on a front porch in Lonsdale. He was a student at Fulton High School, and the incident attracted national attention. His death also led to the construction of The Change Center, and former President Barack Obama recognized him.
Dobson also played football, and ESPN posthumously granted him the prestigious Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The shooting also inspired a wave of community activism to prevent gun violence, with his mother calling for a change in Knoxville.