Man convicted of 2016 drive-by shooting. DNA from separate arrest made the case

A man was convicted of attempted murder six years after a drive-by shooting injured one person.

A jury Thursday found Ladarius Davon Murphy, 26, guilty in the altercation, which prosecutors say was linked to gang violence.

The Sacramento District Attorney’s Office said the victim was walking to school on May 12, 2016, when a gang member drove by and threw up gang signs. Later that day, the same gang member, his girlfriend and Murphy drove past the victim again near the school, and Murphy, who was 20 at the time, opened fire using a 9mm handgun.

The victim was struck by gunfire multiple times but survived.

Although the Sacramento Police Department was able to quickly identify the car involved in the shooting, they did not catch Murphy until he was arrested in a separate September 2017 incident. Prosecutors say Murphy’s fingerprints and DNA were found to match those on the car, though the gun was never found.

Thursday’s conviction comes after years of legal wrangling, including settlement attempts, a mistrial in 2021 and a lawsuit against his attorney that Murphy filed from jail.

Murphy will be sentenced on August 26. He faces a maximum sentence of 34 years to life in prison.

This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 4:05 PM.