Sins & Survivors: A Las Vegas True Crime Podcast - The Murder of SeMauri Norris - Flashback

Episode Date: October 31, 2024

A year after the murder of SeMauri Norris, still his family has no answers. They finally got an autopsy report, but can't get the police report, and they've had no updates on the case.It's an outrage, his family is legally due these answers.https://sinspod.co/episode25sourcesDomestic Violence Resourceshttp://sinspod.co/resourcesClick here to become a member of our Patreon!https://sinspod.co/patreonVisit and join our Patreon now and access our ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content & schwag! Get ad-free access for only $1 a month or ad-free and bonus episodes for $3 a monthApple Podcast Subscriptionshttps://sinspod.co/appleWe're now offering premium membership benefits on Apple Podcast Subscriptions! On your mobile deviceLet us know what you think about the episodehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2248640/open_sms Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sins-survivors-a-las-vegas-true-crime-podcast--6173686/support.

To listen ad-free, visit Zinspod.co slash subscribe. Starting at $2.99 a month, you'll also get access to our exclusive bonus content episodes when you join through Patreon or Apple subscriptions. Thanks for supporting the show! Samari Norris-Johnson, a beloved football player at Desert Pines High, went out trick-or-treating with his friends on Halloween 2023, expecting a night of fun just like so many high school kids. Samari's mom checked in on him at 9.05 p.m. to find out when he needed to be picked up, but couldn't reach him. Samari's girlfriend called her around 10 p.m. in a panic and confirmed a mother's worst fears, that her son had been shot and murdered. Hi, and welcome to Sins and Survivors, a Las Vegas true crime podcast where we focus on

cases that deal with domestic violence, missing persons, and unsolved cases. I'm your host, Sean, and with me, as always, is the one and only John. I am the only John in the room. John and I had a really busy October this year because we wanted to share more stories about domestic violence. However, it's vitally important to both of us that we revisit the story of what happened to Samari Norris Johnson in honor of the one-year anniversary of his tragic murder. Earlier this month, his family and loved ones gathered to celebrate what would have been Samari's 18th birthday. So while it is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we know that his family is still searching for a resolution, and we did not want the month to pass without pausing to remember Samari. Samari was born on October 2, 2006, in San Diego. His mom's name is Marisha

Johnson, and he has two much younger baby brothers, and Samari has a cousin named Jordan Howden, who is a safety for the New Orleans Saints. Samari's mom moved them to Las Vegas in 2016, and according to his grandfather, Samari quickly settled in and started making friends. He went to Desert Pines High School and joined the football team. He was 6'2", 195 pounds, and was an outstanding defensive player. In his sophomore year, he was out with a broken hand, but in his junior year, he had an absolute breakout year. He was second team all division and was starting to get noticed by colleges. Tico Rodriguez, his head coach, was quoted as saying he had the chance to be a Pac-12 athlete. He was that talented. Samari had been playing football since his childhood,

and it was all pointing to his eventual goal of going pro, as he wanted, following in his cousin Jordan's footsteps. In his last game against Coronado High, which the Desert Pines Panthers lost, he racked up eight solo tackles, 10 total, which is huge. After the game, he told his coach, coach, we'll be back, we'll be better. Samari also ran track. We looked up his stats and he was outstanding at the 100 and 200 meter and was starting to get into the 400 meter relay. He really was an excellent all-around athlete. He was well-liked, charismatic, fun-loving, and athletic. He also loved to dance. There are videos of him and his girlfriend making TikToks, dancing together that are

so great. As his girlfriend said, we don't play with guns, gangbang, or do anything of that sort. We're athletes and we focus on our grades. His mom said he was our protector. He never got into trouble. He never talked back. Halloween 2023 was a Tuesday, and he went out with some of his friends to celebrate, as many kids do every year. His mom called him around 9pm to find out when he wanted to be picked

up, but that was the last time she'd ever speak to him. The North Las Vegas police said that Samari and several other teenagers wearing ski masks got out of a car and quickly approached two teenage trick-or-treaters in a North Las Vegas neighborhood around 9.45 p.m. It's not exactly clear what happened, but one of the trick-or-treaters fired a gun that struck Samari in the side, and then the two fled the scene. Neighbors made frantic calls to 911 to report the shooting, with one witness saying that he had heard four gunshots. Police arrived seven minutes later. According to Samari's family, around 10.15 p.m., his mom got a call from Samari's girlfriend saying that he had been shot.

She could see his location on his iPhone, but it wasn't moving, and he wasn't picking up. She rushed over to the scene, but according to the family, she was not allowed to pass the crime scene tape and was told that when the investigation was over, they would come to talk to her. She said at that point, there were no paramedics on the scene. She desperately wanted to cross that yellow tape to be with her son in his last moments, something that we would want every parent to be able to do. She waited there for hours, just 30 feet from where he lay in the street, while rumors on social media grew that Samari was dead. According to the family, the detectives finally came to talk to her after midnight and told her that Samari was shot in self-defense

and there would be no prosecution. The family's account includes the fact that he was shot in the side, so they very much doubt this was self-defense. They also said that witnesses were stopped from performing CPR on Samari and an ambulance did not arrive for over 20 minutes. Marisha wasn't able to view his body until November 3rd, and even then,

it was only a photo. Obviously, the kids at Desert Pines were in shock. This was the second time in a week one of their students was lost to gun violence and crisis counselors were brought in. During the investigation, the police went door-to-door talking to neighbors. They got some ring doorbell camera footage, but the view of the street is blocked by the family's Halloween decorations. It's a chaotic scene with teenagers running all around and a black pickup truck leaving the scene quickly. It all happened in just a few seconds. Samari's grandmother, Lovette Anderson, was on the news and said, We need to find the guy who murdered my grandson. Turn yourself in. North Las Vegas police put out the following incredibly useless description of the suspects.

Suspect number one, wearing all black with a red backpack and a black ski mask. Suspect number two, wearing a ghost face mask from the Scream movies. Three months later, on January 26th, a 16-year-old juvenile was arrested but not charged with homicide or assault. He was charged with shooting a gun into an occupied vehicle and gun possession-related charges. In a press release, they said, the case continues to be an active ongoing investigation. A year later, there have been no updates at all on the case that we can find in public reporting. It's absolutely shocking to us that a young man was murdered in our community, as so many young men of color have been, and again, there doesn't seem

to be any reporting at all on it. We can't say anything about the investigation per se, but what we can say is that the police are not sharing anything. On the family's website, which is meant to help raise awareness of this horrible tragedy, they say, we will do everything in our power to ensure that Samari's legacy is one of hope and progress, not despair and mourning. His family had a memorial service for him at Desert Pines where over 100 people attended. They counted up to 13, Samari's jersey number, and released balloons in the Desert Pines High School colors. We wanted to read some quotes from some of his friends, family,

and classmates. Tico Rodriguez, his coach, said, he was a very special kid. He had a beautiful heart and a million-dollar smile. His mom said he was an angel on earth. His friend, Brianna Jones, said, it shouldn't be scary for you to go out as a kid on Halloween and then to be murdered. That's the last thing we were thinking would happen. He's one of those kids you wish you had a hundred of them, Michael Gao, his coach said. In the three years I have seen him, I've never seen him upset. All of the teammates rallied behind him. He was always the positive guy on the sideline. That's Coach Tico Rodriguez again. We've been in touch with Samari's mom,

who has told us that she feels her rights as a victim are not being respected in the way they should be and the way that is guaranteed by the Nevada state constitution. When we last spoke to Marisha, she stated that she had not received any updates from the district attorney's office regarding the status of Samari's case. While that juvenile has been arrested, she's not been informed of the status or disposition of the case. According to her, the DA's office has told her that there is no victim on the case, which is confusing and obviously inaccurate. Her attempts to get more information about her son's death have failed, and it's

unclear if the North Las Vegas police are still looking for a second suspect. We're doing our best to put her in touch with people within the justice system who can respond to her very reasonable requests for information. But first, let's talk about victims' rights here in Nevada and nationally. Nevada does have protections for victims and witnesses, and I agree with what Samari's grandfather told us, that their rights as victims are being violated. In Nevada, there has been a Crime Victims Bill of Rights written into state law since 1983. The Crime Victim Bill of Rights in Nevada includes the right to know the status of the case in which you are involved, the right to know when the defendant is released from custody before or during trial upon written request, the right to know when the offender is

released from prison, again upon written request. In 2018, Nevada became one of 18 states that adopted Marcy's Law and amended the Nevada's Constitution to include additional protections for victims of crime. They should be notified of court proceedings, can participate in hearings, receive protection, and may request restitution from the offender. It also safeguards their privacy, ensuring they're treated with dignity and respect throughout the legal process. We'll share a link to the provisions of Marcy's Law here in Nevada and the general Marcy's Law provisions in the show notes, but the link is sinspod.co slash MarcyNV. Samari's family isn't being given the updates and information they deserve.

Not only do they deserve updates, but they are legally guaranteed them. Samari's family asks that we do not forget them. His life absolutely mattered, and his loss is a loss for our entire community. He deserves justice and his family deserves answers. If anyone out there is an attorney who would be willing to reach out to Marisha and represent her in getting the updates she deserves, please email me at john at sinsandsurvivors.com or sean at sean at sinsandsurvivors.com. In April, Samari's mom sent us a text about him and we'd like to read that so you can hear her words directly. Samari was an amazing young man. It's true. He was an angel on earth. He never got into trouble.

He didn't talk back. He helped wherever needed. He would do anything I asked of him. His heart was truly pure. He was respectful, thoughtful, and protective over his mama. I'm so brokenhearted. I have experienced a mother's worst nightmare. Samari was going to be the first in my family to go to a university. He worked so hard to become everything he was. I was robbed. My everything, my life, my first purpose, my baby. Samari deserves justice. This person who was out on Halloween with a gun needs to be caught and held accountable. My life will never be the same. Never. I am so hurt. My son did not deserve this. I love you forever, Samari Rumar. Forever and always. You will have justice, baby. Thank you for your unconditional love. For 17 years of beautiful memories, I will forever cherish. You are everything and everything is you.

A parent should be able to cross the yellow tape and be there with their child in their last moments. I need help with changing the mandate for parents in the future. I didn't get to see my son until three days after his death and that was just a photo. It's been five months and I'm still waiting on an autopsy report and a police report. The suspect's identity and case are being withheld as confidential. This suspect knows exactly who me and my family are. I want justice for my son. The authorities make it seem as if he deserved this. We will continue to do what we can to support Samari's family and make sure our community does not forget this incredible young man who is so loved and so missed. Thank you again for listening, and remember what happens here happens everywhere. Thanks for listening. Visit sinspod.co slash subscribe for exclusive bonus content and to

listen ad-free. Remember to like and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Threads at Sins and Survivors. If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice. You can contact us at questions at sinsandsurvivors.com. If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence or needs support, please reach out to local resources or the National Domestic Violence Hotline. A list of resources is available on our website, sinsandsurvivors.com. Sins and Survivors, a Las Vegas true crime podcast, is research written and produced by your hosts, Sean and John. The information shared in this podcast is accurate at the time of recording. If you have questions, concerns, or corrections, please email us.

Links to source material for this episode can be found on our website, sinsandsurvivors.com. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast creators, hosts, and their guests. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty. This content does not constitute legal advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with legal professionals for guidance.