Duane Demond Jernigan, a 49-year-old Black man, and his 29-year-old son, Keyan Jernigan, were fatally shot on the evening of June 11, 2023, in Hallsville, Texas. Around 7:30 p.m., Harrison County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of gunfire on Roberson Road. They arrived to find both father and son unresponsive with apparent gunshot wounds in the front yard of a residence.
Witnesses at the scene provided a description of the suspect’s vehicle, a black Chevrolet Tahoe. Officers with the Hallsville Police Department soon spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it. The driver, identified as 26-year-old Darius Celedra Gates Jr., refused to pull over and led authorities on a high-speed chase that ended in Longview. Gates was apprehended and subsequently booked into the Harrison County Jail.
Gates was initially charged with capital murder of multiple persons, evading arrest with a vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and marijuana-related offenses.
In September 2023, a Harrison County grand jury indicted him for the capital murders of Duane and Keyan Jernigan, alleging that both homicides occurred during the same criminal transaction.
Gates pleaded not guilty, and his first trial began in 2025. However, in October of that year, the judge declared a mistrial due to what officials called "inadvertent jury misconduct" involving premature discussion of the case. A retrial was scheduled for the following year.
In September 2026, a new trial convened in Harrison County. Prosecutors argued that Gates had committed a "calculated ambush," luring the Jernigans to his property for a marijuana deal with the intent to rob and kill them. They presented evidence that Gates shot one of the men in the back and was found wearing Duane Jernigan's Rolex watch after his arrest. The defense claimed self-defense. After nearly three hours of deliberation, the jury found Gates guilty of capital murder. He was automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A celebration of life for Duane Jernigan was held on June 17, 2023, at Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas, followed by his interment at Rosehill Gardens Cemetery. With the conviction and sentencing of his killer in September 2026, the case is considered closed.
