Attorney General of Alabama Steve Marshall declared that Sabronte Lashun Rhodes, 46, of Mobile, was found guilty of murder by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. On May 16, 2023, Rhodes was found guilty in the Mobile County Circuit Court and given a life sentence without the chance of release.
The case is related to Johnny Soekhies’s gunshot death, which occurred on October 25, 2019, in Mobile between three and four in the morning.
Video surveillance evidence and police investigation connected Rhodes and his car to the incident. Rhodes admitted to being with Soekhies prior to the shooting and to selling methamphetamine on the dating app Grindr in several statements he made to law authorities. Rhodes, though, made an effort to place the blame for the act elsewhere.
Since DNA tests verified that Soekhies’ DNA was discovered in Rhodes’ car, forensic evidence was crucial to the case. Additionally, data from Rhodes’ mobile phone further connected him to the murder scene.
Under the direction of District Attorney Keith Blackwood, the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office successfully prosecuted the case and obtained a guilty verdict. Later, Rhodes attempted to have his conviction reversed; but, in a ruling dated September 20, 2024, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the conviction.
Assistant Attorney General Christopher D. Howell received praise from Attorney General Steve Marshall for his efforts managing the appeals process. Additionally, he thanked District Attorney Keith Blackwood and his staff for their assistance in maintaining the murder conviction.