After being convicted of the first-degree premeditated murder of Ladarius Clardy and spending two years in prison, Da’quavion Snowden is a free man.
Prosecutors dropped Snowden’s case Dec. 5 due to an inability to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Trey Myers told the News Journal that prosecutors would not be able to prove Snowden’s charges beyond a reasonable doubt because of the recent ruling from the First District Court of Appeal that prosecutors could not use Snowden’s video interview with investigators.
The First District Court of Appeal ruled in July that Snowden would need a new trial after Escambia County Sheriff’s investigators failed to stop interviewing him after three separate requests for an attorney. Circuit Judge John Simon allowed video of the interview to be placed into evidence and played for the jury in his original trial.
“Because Snowden made three unequivocal requests for counsel which were ignored, his reinitiation of contact with officers and readministering of Miranda rights does not cure the failure to scrupulously honor his requests,” the court’s opinion said. “Snowden’s statements should have been suppressed, and we cannot say that the trial court’s erroneous admission of his inculpatory statements at trial was harmless.”
In the appeals court’s filing, they said that Snowden “faced relentless pressure to continue discussing the case” after he had already requested an attorney.
The News Journal reached out to Clardy’s father for comment, but he said he did not wish to comment about Snowden’s case.
Who is Ladarius ‘LD’ Clardy?
Clardy was an 18-year-old quarterback football star who graduated from Pine Forest High School in 2020.
He was the school’s all-time leading passer, throwing for nearly 6,000 yards, and rushed for over 2,000 yards. He went on to play with NCAA Division I FCS Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
In his final two seasons, Clardy led Pine Forest to a combined 17-7 record and led the Eagles to the second round of the FHSAA state playoffs in back-to-back years.
He had been back home in Pensacola for only a few hours before the shooting.
What happened to Ladarius ‘LD’ Clardy?
Clardy was killed and Eric Young was wounded when assailants fired more than 50 shots at Clardy’s vehicle on July 1, 2021. The incident rocked the city and brought many members of the community together in a united, emotional call for justice.
Investigators believe that on July 1, Clardy and Young traveled to a dice game and were spotted by Timothy Knight Jr. and Terrell Parker, who mistook Clardy for someone who was rumored to have taken out a hit on them, Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said at an October 2021 press conference.
Knight and Parker contacted Kobie Jenkins, Snowden and his brother Amos. When Clardy and Young left the dice game in Clardy’s car, the five men followed them, according to the sheriff.
Knight and Parker trailed behind Clardy and Young in one car while the Snowden brothers and Jenkins followed behind in a second vehicle, investigators said. Shooters in both of the two suspects’ vehicles eventually opened fire at Clardy and Young, Simmons said, firing over 50 rounds into Clardy’s car.
Young was injured but survived.
In video played during his first trial, Snowden was the self-proclaimed driver of the black Ford Fusion sedan that followed Clardy and Young after they left the dice game with friends.
After Clardy’s death in July 2021, the Snowden brothers were arrested Sept. 30, followed by Jenkins, who was arrested Oct. 15. Both Knight and Parker were arrested Oct. 22. All were indicted for their alleged involvement in the homicide.
However, in February 2023 the Office of the State Attorney announced they dropped the charges for Jenkins, Knight and Parker.
Amos Snowden was found guilty of premeditated first degree murder in 2024 and sentenced to life in prison. He was also convicted of the attempted first-degree premeditated murder of Young and was sentenced to 30 years in prison, which will run consecutive to his life sentence.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Charges dropped against man convicted of Ladarius Clardy’s murder
Reporting by Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
