Jonesboro rapper charged with murder after alleged marijuana robbery leaves accomplice dead

JONESBORO, Ark. — A Jonesboro man is facing first-degree murder and aggravated robbery charges after prosecutors say a drug deal he helped set up turned into an armed robbery that left his alleged accomplice shot dead by the homeowner.

Jeremiah Edrick Northern is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated robbery, both Class Y felonies punishable by 10 to 40 years or life in prison, according to court documents filed in the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court of Craighead County.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Jonesboro police responded to a shooting at a residence on Fairview Drive around 7:41 p.m. on July 6. Officers found a deceased man on the living room floor, multiple shell casings inside and outside the home, two handguns in the living room, shattered glass in the street near the driveway and a large amount of marijuana in the kitchen.

The resident told investigators that an acquaintance he knew as “Bic” arrived at the home in a silver BMW with another man to buy marijuana. The affidavit states that after the resident handed over a pound of marijuana in the kitchen, the second man — whom the resident did not know — pointed a gun at him and said, “I’m going to need all of it.”

The resident said “Bic” walked out the front door with the marijuana while the armed man backed toward the door. When the gunman turned his attention to opening the door, the resident grabbed a firearm he kept above the microwave and opened fire, according to the affidavit. The man collapsed to the floor and died at the scene. The resident told police he then fired on the BMW, which fled with “Bic” in the passenger seat and another person driving, believing “Bic” was going to come back inside.

The resident’s girlfriend told police she had brought the couple’s three children into the home shortly before the shooting. From a back bedroom, she said she heard the front door open, a man’s voice say “put it down” twice, then multiple gunshots. She told investigators she rushed the children out of the house and took them to a relative’s home before returning to the scene.

The resident told police that he had no way to escape the kitchen and that his primary concern was the safety of his girlfriend and children. He identified Northern as “Bic” with what he described as 100% certainty, according to the affidavit.

The silver BMW was later found abandoned with several bullet holes in the passenger-side front door and windshield. Police say the vehicle is registered to Northern.

Under Arkansas law, a person can be charged with murder when a death occurs during the commission of certain felonies, including aggravated robbery, even if they did not fire the fatal shot.

The man who was killed has not been identified in the court filing.

A judge found probable cause for Northern’s arrest on July 8 and set his bond at $750,000 with conditions. A public defender has been appointed to represent him. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 21 at 8:30 a.m. at the Craighead County Courthouse in Jonesboro.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.