Rapper BTY YoungN's accused killer dropped phone at crime scene, NOPD says - NOLA.com

The accused killer of Carrollton-raised rapper BTY YoungN was identified by New Orleans police because he dropped and left behind his cellphone at the crime scene, according to court documents obtained Tuesday (May 16).

New Orleans police also are seeking a still-unidentified second shooter in connection with the killing, according to the court records.

The revelations are contained in the arrest documents for Darryl "Dino" Bannister, the 31-year-old Hollygrove man booked Monday with second-degree murder in connection with last month's fatal shooting of the rising rap performer, who was born Desmone Jerome.

Jerome, 27, was found slain April 29 near the pumps of a Shell gas station in the 9200 block of Airline Highway in Hollygrove. New Orleans police identified Bannister as a suspect in the killing last Friday, and he was arrested Monday after giving a statement at NOPD headquarters.

An arrest warrant affidavit sworn by NOPD homicide detective Clinton Givens said Bannister came to the attention of police after a white and gold iPhone was found on the ground near Jerome's body. A review of gas station video surveillance footage showed the phone was dropped and left behind by one of two gunmen who opened fire upon Jerome.

Investigators traced ownership of the phone to a woman who admitted it was registered in her name, but was used exclusively by Bannister, her nephew.

Bannister agreed to be interviewed Monday at NOPD headquarters, and said he had lost his phone at a friend's house party between 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on the night of Jerome's death. The rapper was fatally shot at 11:11 p.m., according to police. Bannister also denied knowledge of the shooting.

Givens wrote that phone records contradicted Bannister's story.

"It is believed that Mr. Bannister never lost possession of his cellphone," the detective wrote, "in that there were continuous incoming calls, outgoing calls and text messages being exchanged throughout the day on April 29 up until just before 11 p.m.

"The numbers called during the time that Mr. Bannister claimed to have lost his phone coincide with phone numbers previously called by Mr. Bannister, including a call to his girlfriend and an identified friend."

The call to the friend, Givens wrote, was made on April 29 while the phone was at the same location as Jerome, prior to the shooting.

"Additionally, phone records indicated that Mr. Bannister's phone was at the last known location of the victim prior to the victim arriving (at the Shell station)," the detective wrote. "It appeared that Mr. Bannister was surveilling the victim prior to following him to the location of the shooting." 

Bannister has previous convictions in 2014 for aggravated battery and other charges in a racketeering case involving the Pigeon Town street gang known as "The Taliban." He was out on parole when Jerome was fatally shot, according to Department of Corrections records.

Jerome's fame as a performer climbed when he was offered a chance to sign a recording contract by Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan "Birdman" Williams. His survivors include his mother and an infant son, Desmone Jerome Jr.

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