Jamond Lee Alston, a 22-year-old African-American man known for his bright smile and loving, kind nature, was a cherished member of his Durham, North Carolina community. Remembered as "Jay" or "Kannon" by friends, he was deeply connected to his family. He was the son of James Lee Alston, Jr. and Tonya D. Rogers-Alston, a brother to Mikeisha C. Rogers and Keinan Bratcher, and a grandson to James Lee Alston, Sr. and Shirley Alston. His obituary paints a picture of a large, close-knit family, including aunts, special cousins, a niece, and his special friend, Nakia T. Britt, all of whom were left to cherish his memory.
In the early hours of Monday, November 28, 2016, Jamond’s life was cut short by violence. Durham Police Department officers responded to a call and discovered a car that had crashed in the 3200 block of Rowena Avenue. Inside the vehicle, they found Jamond. He had been shot.
The investigation determined that he had been shot first, which then caused him to crash the car. Jamond was pronounced dead at the scene, and his death was investigated as a homicide, one of 45 that would occur in Durham that year.
The investigation into Jamond’s killing was handled by the Durham Police Department. For a month, his family and community waited for answers. Then, on December 30, 2016, police announced a significant development in the case. They arrested 20-year-old Laron Malik McCrae of Durham in connection with Jamond's death. McCrae was taken into custody and faced a series of serious felony charges.
The charges brought against McCrae were extensive: thirteen counts of discharging a weapon into a moving vehicle, felony conspiracy, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession of a stolen firearm by a felon. He was booked into the Durham County Jail and held under a $750,000 bond, indicating the gravity of the accusations against him. The arrest brought a measure of hope for justice to those mourning Jamond’s violent death.
A week after his death, on December 5, 2016, family and friends gathered at Holloway Memorial Funeral Home for a visitation and funeral service to honor Jamond's life. They remembered a young man who was sweet, caring, and cool—a big cousin who was more like a big brother. The formal service was a moment to grieve together and celebrate the life that had been taken so suddenly.
Despite the arrest and the specific charges filed against Laron McCrae, the subsequent legal proceedings and the final outcome of the case are not clear from public records. A 2023 report of McCrae's arrest on unrelated felony charges in Durham suggests he was not serving a long-term sentence for the 2016 incident. While an arrest was made, the path to justice for Jamond Lee Alston remains without a public conclusion. As of late 2023, the case's ultimate resolution has not been documented in available news or police reports, leaving unanswered questions for a family still grieving an immense loss.
