Bad Romance: Deadly Night (Revisited)

Summary

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20/20: Bad Romance – “Deadly Night (Revisited)”

Date: January 21, 2026
Host: Debra Roberts, ABC News
Episode Theme: The shocking murder of Makeva Jenkins—a thriving businesswoman, loving wife and mother—explores how a seemingly perfect family life gave way to tragedy, unveiling secrets, betrayal, and a murder-for-hire plot.

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Overview

This episode of "Bad Romance" from ABC's 20/20 podcast revisits the gripping case of Makeva Jenkins, a woman whose life appeared idyllic until a masked gunman ended it one summer night. The episode examines the investigation, motive, and ultimate revelation of a murder-for-hire plot involving her husband, Yuri Jenkins. Intimate interviews with Makeva's family, law enforcement, and prosecutors scaffold the narrative, shining a light on family dynamics, social media, and the devastating fallout of the crime.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Was Makeva Jenkins?

• Makeva was a successful entrepreneur, devoted wife, mother of three, and active in church.
• Overcame a tough upbringing in Belle Glade, “the forgotten city of Palm Beach County.”
  • Debra Roberts on Belle Glade: “People give up on you when you live out there. There’s no coming out... Makeva did. She really pushed herself to get out of that and to not turn back. She was that boss chick.” (07:23-07:46)
• Made her success and personal hustle visible on social media, often flaunting achievements (like coveted Christian Louboutin shoes).
  • “She wanted these Christian Louboutin red bottom shoes like nobody’s business. And she worked… she got those shoes.” (12:16-12:25)

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2. The Crime: A Sudden, Senseless Attack

[01:16-06:19]

• Tragedy struck in the early hours: a masked gunman invaded the home, forced Makeva’s brother Quay, husband Yuri, and a friend (Dimitri Dale) upstairs at gunpoint.
• The gunman executed Makeva as she lay asleep.
  • Quay Greer (Makeva’s brother): “He has me by my neck and the gun to the back of my head... The gunman heads towards Makeva’s bedroom… A gunshot. The man runs past us... We see a big cloud of gun smoke. I can see a hole under her ear about the size of a nickel.” (03:48-04:29)
• Paramedics could not save her.

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3. Early Suspects & Family Dynamics

[08:12-11:19]

• Initial suspicion fell on Makeva's mother, Quest, due to her troubled past and the gunman asking, “Where Quest at? Where the money at?”
  • Detective Shawn Oliver: “It appeared the gunman came in specifically looking for Quest.” (08:42)
• This thread is quickly dismissed after detectives confirm Quest was elsewhere the night of the murder; focus shifts away from revenge or mistaken identity.

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4. Motives Explored

Social Media Wealth Flaunting

[11:40-13:21]

• Investigators considered whether Makeva was targeted for her apparent wealth, as she'd recently boasted on social media about her six-figure earnings.
• However, nothing was stolen during the murder—jewelry and cash were left untouched, undermining the robbery theory.

Domestic Strain and Life Insurance

[25:41-28:21]

• Details emerge about Makeva and Yuri’s strained relationship, Yuri’s infidelity, and Makeva’s contemplation of divorce.
  • Debra Roberts: “At one point in time, she wanted to just give up. But she managed to put it back together again and just keep on going.” (27:08-27:18)
• Makeva held a $500,000 life insurance policy—with her grandmother, not Yuri, as beneficiary. Yuri tried to claim the insurance immediately after her death and was disappointed to learn he was not the beneficiary.
  • Prosecutor: “Yuri, quickly after Makeva’s death, called the insurance company to collect on the policy... he made an incriminating comment.” (27:37-28:21)

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5. The Investigation Unravels the Plot

[17:26-24:03]

• Detectives zero in on the behavior and statements of the three men in the house that night.
• Notably, Dimitri Dale’s conduct is suspicious: when the gunman rounds up Yuri and Quay, Dimitri is free to move, leaves the scene with a child, and later hands over his car keys to the gunman without resistance.
• Surveillance footage ties Dimitri’s car to Jovan Joseph, a friend of Dimitri’s who matches the description of the gunman.
• Under pressure, Dimitri confesses: he knew the gunman’s identity, and the plot to kill Makeva.

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6. The Murder-for-Hire Plot Unmasked

[30:12-31:57]

• Dimitri testifies that Yuri planned his wife’s murder and recruited Jovan Joseph as the trigger man.
• Detective Shawn Oliver to Dimitri: “In a nutshell, Yuri tells you he’s gonna kill his wife. Two, you bring Javon to meet him. Three, Javon is in the back... Within nine minutes of the murder, you admit to me that it’s Javon that commits the murder.” (30:36-30:56)
• After arrest, Jovan Joseph admits it was a paid hit, implicating Yuri directly.

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7. Courtroom Drama & Verdict

[34:06-37:37]

• Dimitri and Jovan, having cut plea deals, testify for the prosecution. Their credibility is challenged due to past lies; however, corroborating evidence supports their accounts.
  • Prosecutor: “People who agree to murder an innocent woman are not choir boys. They are criminals. They are liars. But sometimes you have to hold hands with the devil to do justice.” (33:20-33:33)
• Emotional testimonies, including Quay’s, punctuate the trial; Quay is barred from the courtroom after a dramatic outburst at Yuri.
  • Quay Greer: “I wanted to go up to him and choke him out and not let go until he wasn’t breathing.” (35:06)
• The defense rests without calling a single witness, claiming the case hinged on untrustworthy witnesses.
• The jury finds Yuri Jenkins guilty of first-degree murder; he receives a life sentence.
  • Narrator/Host: “I have been advised that the jury has reached a verdict… find the defendant guilty of first degree murder.” (37:03-37:10)

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8. Aftermath and Continuing Fallout

[38:25-44:24]

• Jovan Joseph: 15 years for second-degree murder (after testifying).
  • Dimitri Dale: 45 days for manslaughter with a weapon (after testifying).
  • Prosecutor: “The person who is the most guilty is Yuri… who understandably and justifiably got the toughest sentence.” (38:15-38:25)
• Yuri’s subsequent TV interview reasserts his innocence, claiming he was framed for financial reasons.
• Appeal denied – appellate court defers to jury’s judgment on credibility.
• Makeva’s family and grandmother express sorrow and the lack of healing that follows.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Makeva's Determination:

  • “Even when she was down, she still thrived. She just wanted to make it happen no matter what.”
    — Debra Roberts (07:44-08:12)

• The Horror of the Crime:

  • “My whole world just fell apart.” — Quay Greer (04:50)
  • “It was just hell. It was real hell because I can’t help her, and I can’t stop her from hurting, and I can’t stop the pain.” — Quay Greer (05:06)

• On the Public Reaction to Yuri's TV Interview:

  • “He didn’t cry. He didn’t say, I love her. He just kept saying, she was an entrepreneur, a mother, and a wife… There was no emotion.”
    — Debra Roberts (29:05-29:21)

• Prosecutor’s Reflection:

  • “People who agree to murder an innocent woman are not choir boys. They are criminals. They are liars. But sometimes you have to hold hands with the devil to do justice.” (33:20)

• Quay’s Emotional Outburst:

  • “I wanted to go up to him and choke him out and not let go until he wasn’t breathing.”
    — Quay Greer (35:06)

• After the Verdict:

  • “There would never really be any real healing.” — Debra Roberts (43:43)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Makeva's Background & Family: 01:54 – 08:12
• The Night of the Murder: 03:08 – 06:19
• Initial Suspects & The Quest Angle: 08:12 – 11:19
• Social Media Influence & Financial Motive: 11:40 – 13:21
• Unravelling the Plot / Interviews & Confessions: 17:26 – 24:03, 30:12 – 31:57
• Courtroom & Verdict: 34:06 – 37:37
• Aftermath, Appeal & Reflections: 38:25 – 44:24

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Tone and Storytelling

The episode is both investigative and personal, striking a balance between the chilling procedural details of a murder investigation and the deep emotional scars left on Makeva’s loved ones. The alternating perspectives—from those mourning Makeva, the detectives, and even the accused—capture the confusion, betrayal, and enduring pain wrought by the crime.

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Conclusion

“Deadly Night (Revisited)” is a powerful exploration of a senseless tragedy, the complexities hidden beneath a seemingly perfect life, and the tireless pursuit of justice. Through candid interviews, emotional testimonies, and detailed investigation, it unearths not just the mechanics of a murder-for-hire, but the lasting impact on a family and community forever changed.

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Transcript

[Debra Roberts]

This is Debra Roberts. We're taking a few weeks off from new podcast programming on Wednesdays while we work on a new interesting series to share with you. So in the meantime, we're bringing back some of our installments from our classic series Bad Romance.

[Narrator/Host]

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[Quay Greer]

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[Narrator/Host]

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[Quay Greer]

Qualifying credit required.

[Debra Roberts]

This is Debra Roberts, co anchor of 2020. Welcome to Bad Romance, a limited edition.

[Narrator/Host]

2020 series you can watch on ABC.

[Debra Roberts]

Monday nights Wednesday right after the Bachelor. Have a listen.

[Narrator/Host]

When a killer strikes in the night, everyone has a different version of what happened. Who is the man in the mask? Why would he target a woman who's a happy wife, a successful businesswoman and a mother to be and killer in her sleep? It's a deadly night. Makeaeva Jenkins fell madly in love and now she has a beautiful family life she always dreamed of.

[Quay Greer]

I pronounce that they are husband and wife.

[Narrator/Host]

She's married a man she met in church, has her own successful business and three beautiful children.

[Debra Roberts]

She referred to her husband as her king. Her children. She worshiped the ground that they walked on.

[Narrator/Host]

Yoria is so quiet and make so open.

[Quay Greer]

They're so different and at the same time they're very similar.

[Narrator/Host]

He loved her.

[Quay Greer]

They loved each other.

[Narrator/Host]

It's a picture of a woman looking forward to her future when everything changed one summer night. It had been a 90 degree humid day in that peaceful suburban neighborhood. Maketha is asleep. There's seven year olds in his room. The baby is asleep in a playpen downstairs. Her husband Yuri and younger brother Quay hang out with a friend in the makeshift barbershop in their garage.

[Prosecutor]

It was late at night and and Yuri asked Makeva's brother Quay if he wanted to get a haircut.

[Quay Greer]

So I get in the seat. He turned the clippers on and then out of nowhere, maskgummy just walk in the garage.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

A mask gunman came through the open garage door all dressed in black and he's holding a revolver.

[Quay Greer]

I'm like okay, you gotta be joking. So I laugh. I'm like this is just another homeboy trying to scare us.

[Narrator/Host]

It quickly becomes clear this is no joke.

[Quay Greer]

Now, all of a sudden, he grabs me. He has me by my neck and the gun to the back of my head so I can't turn around and see or else I'll get shot.

[Narrator/Host]

The gunman forces them upstairs, makes them lie on the ground.

[Quay Greer]

He said, what, you think this a game? You think I'm playing with you? I was like, I'm dead. I'm going to die.

[Narrator/Host]

The gunman heads towards Makeva's bedroom. He opens the door, and Quay and make his husband Yuri hear it. A gunshot. And the man runs past them.

[Quay Greer]

Me and Yuri, we get up, we run into the bedroom, and we see a big cloud of gun smoke. And I can see a hole under her ear about the size of a nickel. 911 emergency. Do you need the police or the paramedics?

[Narrator/Host]

Paramedic.

[Quay Greer]

We need a paramedic here. My whole world just fell apart.

[Narrator/Host]

Oh, my sister just got shot dead. She's dead.

[Debra Roberts]

Okay? How many people been shot?

[Quay Greer]

Been one. It was just hell. It was real hell because I can't help her, and I can't stop her from hurting, and I can't stop the pain. And she's just sitting there, you know? Blood coming out. Please get him now.

[Narrator/Host]

Oh, my God.

[Debra Roberts]

Okay, we're sending help.

[Narrator/Host]

A critically wounded Makeeva Jenkins is rushed to the hospital. She's barely alive. Quay and her husband Yuri follow the ambulance. They can't save her.

[Quay Greer]

Uri was screaming about his kids. His kids. And he was like, oh, I just gotta go. I wanna go check on my kids. And he stormed out.

[Debra Roberts]

And I remember I just kept saying, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I called Makeeva. She didn't answer. I text her saying, like, please tell me this isn't. This isn't real. She didn't respond. I called my sister, say, brenda, Keeva, it's gone. And I screamed. I could not believe it.

[Quay Greer]

She's still supposed to be here. And it's like, she's not here. So. Man, this can't be real.

[Narrator/Host]

Makeva was a faithful churchgoer, and to her younger brother, Quay, she was like a second mother. What was Makeva like?

[Quay Greer]

Makeeva was everything, you know? She was everything to me, you know? She was like one of those people that just knew me the best, you know? One that always had my back, always tried to encourage me, always tried to tell me the right way to go.

[Narrator/Host]

Yeah, she was your big sister, right? Big sister. She was like, there's a Special relationship there.

[Quay Greer]

Right Between.

[Narrator/Host]

I mean, I have a big sister, so there's a way you look up to her in a way that's like special Bond type.

[Quay Greer]

Yeah.

[Narrator/Host]

I've heard people say, in order to know, make sure you gotta know Belglade.

[Quay Greer]

Right. You gotta know Belglade in order to know.

[Debra Roberts]

If anybody knows about Belglade. It's very rough. It used to be considered the forgotten city of Palm Beach County. People give up on you when you live out there. There's no coming out, you know, And I get emotional about it because there's so many kids out there that just.

[Quay Greer]

They don't make it.

[Debra Roberts]

Makeeva did. She really pushed herself to get out of that and to not turn back. She was that boss chick. Even when she was down, she still thrived. She just wanted to make it happen no matter what.

[Narrator/Host]

Makeeva and Quay each have a strained relationship with their mother, Quest. Makeva was actually raised by her grandmother.

[Quay Greer]

Quest is my mom, and, you know, she was doing some things that she shouldn't have been doing.

[Prosecutor]

Quest has been in trouble with the law in the past. She's got some unsavory connections.

[Narrator/Host]

The night he killed Makeeva, the man in the mask kept yelling something strange.

[Quay Greer]

He was asking, oh, where Quest at? Where Quest at? Where the money at?

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

It appeared that the gunman came in specifically looking for Quest.

[Narrator/Host]

When investigators learned that Quest may have been the target of the killer, it suggests a possible motive. But first they have to find Quest.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

In Belglade, she said that if anyone wanted to find her, they knew where to find her.

[Prosecutor]

This didn't seem like your typical robbery for the detective.

[Narrator/Host]

For all of them, really. The truth would be almost too strange to believe.

[Prosecutor]

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[Quay Greer]

Oh, my sister just got shot.

[Narrator/Host]

The head.

[Quay Greer]

The person came in was actually looking for your mom by your name.

[Narrator/Host]

Yes, he was looking for.

[Quay Greer]

Looking for my mom.

[Narrator/Host]

Oh, my gosh. Makeva Jenkins is dead. But could this all have been a case of mistaken identity? Detective Shawn Oliver goes to Makeba's hometown to find out.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

The suspect kept mentioning Makeva Jenkins, biological mother quest. I had to see if this subject, who came in and killed Makeiva was actually looking for her mother.

[Quay Greer]

I did think Makeva could have been shot by mistake. Maker handled beef with nobody. I questioned it.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

I met with Makeba Jenkins's mother. She was very frank with me, very honest. She said that she lives in Belglade. If anyone wanted to find her, they knew where to find her. She had a white car, and that white car was parked in front of her house in Belglade when her daughter.

[Narrator/Host]

Was shot and killed.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

I ruled out basically that anyone was trying to hunt her down. That isn't the reason why Makeba was shot.

[Narrator/Host]

So if the gunman was targeting Makeva, what was the reason?

[Prosecutor]

This didn't seem like your typical robbery. This didn't seem like a crime. That was just random.

[Narrator/Host]

Makeva had a habit of posting on social media to promote her businesses, but also to show off her success.

[Debra Roberts]

I have helped countless entrepreneurs build their business from the ground up.

[Prosecutor]

When McKeva Jenkins was murdered, people assumed it was because it was right after she posted on social media that she had multi six figures in her income because she was so successful at business.

[Debra Roberts]

Makeeva was a hustler like that girl was a hustler.

[Narrator/Host]

She earned enough to buy all the markers of success.

[Debra Roberts]

She wanted these Christian Louboutin red bottom shoes like nobody's business. And she worked and worked and got those shoes. And I don't think there's a picture on social media that didn't see the bottom of those shoes. She was like, my brain doesn't sleep. I'm always thinking about what I can do next.

[Narrator/Host]

Makeva tries all kinds of businesses. A tax business, a boutique, a parting planning company. Some go bust, but some do well. Then she starts promoting a new venture online, helping other entrepreneurs do what you.

[Debra Roberts]

Need to do to launch the business that you've always desired.

[Prosecutor]

Makeba did promote herself online. She was very fast to show the income she was making and the jewelry she was able to buy. That led her family to believe that perhaps she was targeted by someone who wanted what she had. But the gunman kills Makeeva and doesn't Take anything. There's jewelry around there. There's money. Leaves everything behind. So none of this seemed to make any sense.

[Narrator/Host]

Makeva has a drive to succeed in high school and then to college. And while she's a student, she learns that she's pregnant.

[Quay Greer]

She managed to keep her schooling and keep it going while she had the baby.

[Narrator/Host]

She earns a master's degree, but her relationship doesn't last. And she's raising her daughter as a single mom.

[Debra Roberts]

She wanted a family. She did not want to be a single parent.

[Narrator/Host]

She finally finds more at church. I know that church was important to Makeiva. I know this wasn't her church. But when you look around this place, does this remind you of some of the places that she worshiped?

[Quay Greer]

Yeah, it reminds me. It was. You know, she was real big on faith, so when she read her Bible, she prayed every night before she went to sleep. And, you know, she always just kept.

[Debra Roberts]

The faith that had been drilled in church. You know, dating should lead to marriage.

[Narrator/Host]

It's in church one night that she meets Yuri.

[Debra Roberts]

She saw Yuri, and she was like.

[Narrator/Host]

Oh, my God, you have to introduce us.

[Debra Roberts]

I said, no, not me. She was like, I'm gonna go over there and introduce myself. You know, I saw her at the corner of my eye, like, hug him a little bit tighter than she had hugged everybody else. She came up to me at Bible study and said, pastor, I think I'm ready to have me a boyfriend. I found somebody I like, and he is so cute.

[Narrator/Host]

Yuri is a barber and a pastor's son, and a short time after their relationship begins, Makeva discovers she's pregnant with his son. She's thrilled, even though she finds out that another woman Yuri is seeing is pregnant at the same time.

[Debra Roberts]

I say, makeeva, I can't see any good coming from this situation if he's involved with someone else, because this is not gonna be the life that you envision.

[Quay Greer]

I think Makeeva really loved him, was really hoping that the relationship would blossom.

[Debra Roberts]

He made it perfectly clear that Makeba was the person that he wanted to. To be with.

[Quay Greer]

In the wedding. You know, I was actually the one to walk her down the aisle. It was, like, one of the happiest moments for me. I took on the role as, you know, her father.

[Narrator/Host]

What was she like on that day?

[Quay Greer]

She was ecstatic. What she had talked about all this time, you know, know, it was finally coming together. She was, like, madly in love with.

[Narrator/Host]

Him, and he was like, I'm married.

[Quay Greer]

That was kind of it.

[Narrator/Host]

So I think that was a maturity Thing, and he got married very young. Makeva and Yuri make a great team with her first daughter and two more children, completing the perfect family. And through it all, Makeva keeps advertising on social media and hustling to promote her businesses.

[Debra Roberts]

Your business plan and your lifestyle must match. Like a puzzle, it must go together.

[Narrator/Host]

She was making good money, had a car.

[Quay Greer]

She was in a really good spot. I was a little jealous of her because I couldn't even get that type of money.

[Narrator/Host]

She hopes they can move out of the house they're renting and into a new house they'd own.

[Debra Roberts]

Her goal was that December, to be in that house, to have this huge holiday celebration with, you know, all of her family and to just feel accomplished, like I arrived. The Bible even says no man knows the hour. But I just know for me, I just really felt like I was cheated. Someone murdered her. It's devastating, you know, knowing that someone.

[Narrator/Host]

Did it to her and then later finding out why. The answer would hinge on a tiny piece of surveillance video. Hours and hours of interrogation.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

You've lied to me so many.

[Quay Greer]

Yeah. It's not worth.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

I'm tired of being lied to.

[Quay Greer]

I'm not lied to. No.

[Narrator/Host]

After the chaos of the home invasion, the armed man herding three men upstairs, then murdering Makenz, the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office starts trying to unravel the mystery. Why did this happen?

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

Today's day is August 10, 2017. Time 902.

[Narrator/Host]

Detective Sean Oliver with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is the lead investigator on the case.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

Killed in her bed mask.

[Narrator/Host]

Jenkins was killed in a home invasion gone horribly wrong. But there are certain things about this case that just don't add up.

[Prosecutor]

Law enforcement had some questions, like why was nothing taken? This was a home invasion robbery. Why did they leave the jewelry in the cash? Why'd they target Makeiva?

[Narrator/Host]

There was a third man there that night, a close friend of Yuri's named Dimitri Dale.

[Prosecutor]

You had Yuri, you had Dimitri Dale, and you had Makeva's brother, Quay. They were all there in the garage while Quay was getting a haircut.

[Narrator/Host]

To investigators, Dimitri's behavior and the responses of the gunman raised some serious questions. When the gunman forces the three men upstairs, he makes Makeva's brother and her husband lie on the floor. Dimitri is left standing. Dimitri asks if he can take Makeva's son downstairs where baby Zoe is already asleep. The man with the gun says yes. So Dimitri goes into 7 year old Yuri Jr. S bedroom, grabs him and heads to the first floor. Then he Goes outside.

[Prosecutor]

What's interesting is that Dimitri Dale stays in the enclosed backyard throughout this incident. The whole time. Dimitri does not try to run away, does not try to call for help.

[Narrator/Host]

And when the gunman demands his car.

[Prosecutor]

Keys, Dimitri quickly gives the masked gunman the keys to the car, which raises a red flag.

[Narrator/Host]

The gunman then escapes in Dimitri's white charger. You know how they always say foul the money. Detective Oliver decides to follow the car.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

So the suspect, when he fled this murder scene, took Dimitri's white charger. Now, the white charger was left within a quarter mile of the murder scene by the suspect. And we did a search through it. During the search, some receipts were found for fast food chains.

[Narrator/Host]

The receipts are dated June 28. Just hours before Makeva is killed. Oliver pulls surveillance footage from two fast food restaurants and discovers something stunning Happened.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

To see some video surveillance from a Miami subs where Dimitri Dale's white charger is in the drive through lane. But it's stalled or ran out of gas. And there's a second subject that gets out and helps push that car.

[Narrator/Host]

So who is this mystery man in the video that night? Remember, this scene happens just before the gunman comes to make.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

There was nothing to indicate that either Quay Urie or Dimitri knew the shooter. The shooter was just described as a black male, tall, and his face was covered.

[Narrator/Host]

Then Makeva's brother Quay mentions a chance meeting the day before.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

A subject had come with Dimitri Dale to play basketball and hang out. And that subject had the same body type as the shooter.

[Quay Greer]

We ended up playing basketball. That was the first time I had ever seen him. They know him from a can of paint, but Yuri and Dimitri knew him pretty good.

[Narrator/Host]

So Detective Shawn Oliver brings Dimitri in to ask about that friend. Could he be the man in the mask?

[Quay Greer]

I'm not lying to you. I had no knowledge of this. I had no involvement in this.

[Narrator/Host]

But Detective Oliver presses him and Dimitri buckles. Dimitri admits not only has he seen the shooter before, but he actually knows his name. Jovan Joseph.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

Now, through this whole time, you've known since that day, since the moment he walked in the garage door when McKee was shot and killed. It was Javon. Is there any doubt in your mind? Not Javon, No.

[Quay Greer]

There's no doubt in my mind. That was Jovan.

[Narrator/Host]

And Detective Oliver is now set on finding Jovan Joseph.

[Prosecutor]

The one lead that police had was the car.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

I was gonna have to find out who that person was in the video surveillance.

[Narrator/Host]

That mystery man in the car with Dimitri.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

That person at the time we discovered was Javon Joseph. You have a friend of yours that was at an incident the other night.

[Quay Greer]

Who's your friend?

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

We were talking about Dale. During this interview, Javon Joseph stated, yes, he was with Dimitri Dale at a House on June 28. He didn't indicate that he knew anything about the murder, and he denied any involvement.

[Narrator/Host]

McKeeva's killer would have been at her house in the early morning hours of June 29th. Does Jovan have an alibi for that time?

[Quay Greer]

All right.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

Do you know where you were at.

[Quay Greer]

2 in the morning? 2, 3. I have a friend, one of my, like, sizes. She's in the hospital. You know, people can't come to the hospital that late. So what she did, she asked the nurse. The nurse said, yes, you can have visitors. So I went over there around that time.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

I followed up on that alibi within the next day.

[Narrator/Host]

The detective pulls surveillance footage from the hospital the night Makeba was killed.

[Prosecutor]

There were cameras that show that he was at the hospital that evening. What Jevon Joseph didn't realize is there's something called a timestamp. And we knew the exact minute, the exact second he was at the hospital. He wasn't there when the murder occurred.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

I went to the video. You weren't there until 3 at the hospital?

[Prosecutor]

Yeah.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

I said, where were you at 2? Because I said the murder was at 2. But you weren't there at 2. Couldn't have been.

[Quay Greer]

Yeah, I wasn't there. I guess I wasn't there too. But I know I was there for me.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators are closing in, and for a third time, Jovan's at the sheriff's office.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

This is a very unfortunate time in your life. But you also don't want to be the only one taking the fall.

[Quay Greer]

Taking the fall for what, bro? Like, I still don't understand.

[Narrator/Host]

Like what don't you understand?

[Quay Greer]

I didn't do this, bro.

[Prosecutor]

As a prosecutor, we're used to witnesses lying. But although people lie, recordings don't.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

I had a audio tape of him and Dimitri Dale talking.

[Quay Greer]

He offered me some money, offered me 1500. I should never take this money from this man. I said, never did. None of that.

[Narrator/Host]

Money? Money for what? For murder.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

I was lied to by Javon Joseph. I was lied to by Demetri Dale. But the two of them, things that they did say did add up.

[Prosecutor]

Javon Joseph, 19 years old, is not doing this on his own. If he were really a home invasion robber, he would have stolen something. This was a hit. A murder for hire.

[Narrator/Host]

A murder for hire and a shooter Shocking local TV interview.

[Debra Roberts]

It didn't add up. There was no emotion.

[Quay Greer]

I don't know what to do. It's going to be tough.

[Prosecutor]

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[Narrator/Host]

Investigators have a solid suspect for Makea Jenkins murder. But why would someone pay for her to die?

[Debra Roberts]

To the outside, Makeva didn't show the turmoil that was going on inside. But there were times when she would confide in me and tell me we're not on the best of terms.

[Narrator/Host]

Yuri and Makeeva Jenkins relationship isn't always perfect. Their marriage reaches a low point, friends say, when Yuri cheats on her.

[Debra Roberts]

Makeiva expressed that she she caught Yuri in affairs. She was jealous and he was friendly with everybody. So she thought that he was always out with somebody and he really wasn't. He's just friendly. Makeeva says she found out when she was pregnant that her husband had a baby on the way with someone else. She said she was devastated. She was hurt. Makeeva was hurt about that.

[Quay Greer]

He had broke the trust and it was like really hard for Makeeva to trust him again after that.

[Narrator/Host]

Plus, according to Makeeva, the other woman wanted child support.

[Debra Roberts]

Makeeva's stance was that has nothing to do with her. That is Erie's issue. That is Erie's problem.

[Quay Greer]

She was asking me what should she do? And, you know, only thing I could say was that you want to kick him out. Kick him out. He can go. See you later.

[Debra Roberts]

Makeeva did speak about divorce. She was considering it. She was very heartbroken. At one point in time, she wanted to just give up. But she managed to put it back together again and just keep on going.

[Narrator/Host]

McKeeva Jenkins has a substantial life insurance policy. Half a million dollars.

[Prosecutor]

Yuri, quickly after Makeva's death, called the insurance company to collect on the policy. He even said that there's no money to pay for the funeral.

[Quay Greer]

We don't have the funds to pay for her funeral.

[Prosecutor]

They need to know that I'm beneficiary.

[Debra Roberts]

Actually, seeing on the application that you.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

Are not listed as beneficiary.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

The beneficiary was Makeeva's biological grandmother.

[Debra Roberts]

I'm sure that there had to be something or some indication that her grandmother would be better suited to receive that money in the event of her passing than her spouse. I think Makeba wasn't no fool.

[Prosecutor]

People lie. Recordings don't. Yuri was greatly disappointed when he learned that he was not the beneficiary. And when he was told he was not, he made an incriminating comment.

[Narrator/Host]

She hadn't changed the policy in time. In time for what? Makeva's murder dominates the news cycle in Palm Beach County. A mother of three, 33 year old.

[Debra Roberts]

Makeva Jenkins, was shot and killed.

[Narrator/Host]

Detectives tell me this is an ongoing murder investigation. As of right now, no suspects are in custody. And Yuri talks to a local TV station.

[Quay Greer]

It hit me on. Oh, my God. Just taking it one day at a time.

[Debra Roberts]

He didn't cry. He didn't say, I love her. He just kept saying, she was an entrepreneur, a mother and a wife.

[Quay Greer]

She was excellent. Excellent how God intended for a wife to be.

[Debra Roberts]

It didn't add up. There was no emotion.

[Quay Greer]

I don't know what to do. It's gonna be tough.

[Debra Roberts]

Once he did that interview, everything went like gasoline and wildfire. All the attention began to go to him. There were strong allegations all over social media. There were people all saying he did it.

[Quay Greer]

The majority of the people didn't even know Urie, but they formed opinions by what the news said.

[Debra Roberts]

He did not kill his wife.

[Quay Greer]

He didn't do it. He loved her. He really did.

[Narrator/Host]

But Yuri's own friend starts pointing a finger in his direction.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

Demetri Dale was cooperative from the get go. Now, I won't say he was honest from the get go. You've lied to me so many times.

[Narrator/Host]

No worries.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

I'm tired of being lied to.

[Quay Greer]

I'm not lying to you.

[Prosecutor]

No, Dimitri Dale was nervous throughout this whole thing. I mean, whether he has a conscience or whether he just saw the rest of his life in an orange jumpsuit, he decided to be the first one to come clean.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

In a nutshell, Yuri tells you he's gonna kill his wife. Two, you bring Javon to meet him. Three, Javon is in the back you get delivered. You deliver Javon by your own words to the scene. Within nine minutes of the murder, you admit to me that it's Javon that commits the murder in a nutshell, without going in all detail.

[Quay Greer]

Without going in all detail.

[Narrator/Host]

And there it is. Yuri Jenkins was in on it. He paid Dimitri and Jovan to kill his wife.

[Quay Greer]

I couldn't believe. Well, I didn't want to believe that he was involved because I had that much love for him.

[Debra Roberts]

It doesn't even make sense because he just wasn't that type of person. It's just not in his character.

[Narrator/Host]

Two months after Makeeva's murder, Jovan Joseph is arrested.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

That's Jovan Joseph facing first degree murder charges. Accused of shooting Makeeva Jenkins, pictured here in June, Joseph pleaded not guilty. After Jevon was arrested, his defense team approached the prosecutor and said that Javon Joseph was willing to proffer proper means. He was going to give information for some type of reduction in his future sentence if he is convicted. This is when Javon Joseph admitted that he was hired by Yuri Jenkins to kill McKeebitt.

[Narrator/Host]

It's the break that investigators need. And Yuri is also arrested.

[Debra Roberts]

Yuri, did you kill your wife?

[Quay Greer]

No, I didn't.

[Narrator/Host]

But he maintains his innocence.

[Quay Greer]

God vindicated me.

[Narrator/Host]

You say you're innocent.

[Quay Greer]

Innocent, yes, I am.

[Narrator/Host]

But a jury is about to have its say.

[Quay Greer]

You know, maybe he just might get off and get away with it.

[Narrator/Host]

And to witness Bakiva's little brother Quay.

[Quay Greer]

Go off in court, I kind of just went blank and I lost it. The long awaited murder trial underway for.

[Narrator/Host]

A Palm beach county man accused of.

[Quay Greer]

Ordering a hit on his wife, 33 year old Makeva Jenkins.

[Prosecutor]

Yuri Jenkins made the decision to hire.

[Quay Greer]

Someone to kill his wife to get.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

Out of the marriage he was unhappy.

[Prosecutor]

In and to get a payday he.

[Narrator/Host]

Thought was coming to him. Prosecutors tell the jury that Yuri's motive, freedom killing Makeva was money. Her $500,000 life insurance policy.

[Debra Roberts]

You are not listed as.

[Narrator/Host]

The prosecution's case is that Yuri hired these two men to kill his wife. Two men who took plea deals rather than go on trial.

[Prosecutor]

People who agree to murder an innocent woman are not choir boys. They are criminals. They are liars. But sometimes you have to hold hands with the devil to do justice.

[Narrator/Host]

Yuri's defense hinges on questioning whether or not Dimitri and Jovan can be trusted. The two key state witnesses were admitted liars.

[Quay Greer]

They admitted that they had perjured themselves on numerous occasions while under oath. I told many lies, so I can't really. It's harder to remember a lot than it is true to understand what you just said. You told so many lies that you can't remember what lies you told at one moment to the next. In part. In part, I told some of the.

[Narrator/Host]

Truth and I told some lies. The prosecution says he's done lying now for a reason. Why should this jury believe that you.

[Debra Roberts]

Are going to tell them the truth today?

[Quay Greer]

I think at the very least, you know, the family and the Jenkins deserves justice.

[Prosecutor]

Dimitri and Yuri were longtime friends. It was Dimitri who introduced Javon Joseph to Yuri as a person who could kill Makeyva.

[Quay Greer]

Yuri Jenkins is the one that initiated all of it, because no one would ever thought to kill Makeiva if it didn't come from his mouth.

[Narrator/Host]

The third person in the garage that night is Quay Greer, Makeva's little brother.

[Quay Greer]

Like, I was on edge the whole time because, you know, maybe he just might get off and get away with it. I kind of just went blank and I lost it. Quay is coming in from the back of the courtroom, and he takes off.

[Narrator/Host]

Coming at us, screaming at Yuri.

[Quay Greer]

You know, I wanted to go up to him and choke him out and not let go until he wasn't breathing.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

Yeah.

[Narrator/Host]

The judge sends the jury out of the courtroom. When a disturbance like this happens in front of a jury, the defense can ask for a mistrial. Mr. Lerman, have you made a decision what you'd like to do?

[Quay Greer]

If I made any mistake in this case, it would have been when we had the opportunity for a mistrial and we didn't take it.

[Narrator/Host]

The judge delivers a stinging warning to Quay. He may testify, but from then on will be barred from the courtroom. Quay talks about that night, lying in the hallway.

[Quay Greer]

I said that we need to do something. We need to either get up or try to stop this man or get him.

[Debra Roberts]

What did the defendant say back to you?

[Quay Greer]

He told me that he was. He. He didn't want to do that because he was scared of getting shot thinking about.

[Detective Shawn Oliver]

Mr. Greer, you can step down.

[Narrator/Host]

The state of Florida has now rested their case. Mr. Lerman, does the defense wish to present a case on day five of the trial? The defense rests their case without calling a single witness. Often, that means that they're going to argue that the case is so weak that the jury cannot trust the evidence.

[Quay Greer]

This case is about lies and liars.

[Narrator/Host]

The prosecutor's parting words to the jury.

[Debra Roberts]

We ask that you render the only verdict that the evidence and your common sense would support, and that is to find him guilty of first degree murder.

[Quay Greer]

Before the Verdict. I just prayed. It was just so much just like you're waiting on, you know, someone to just save you and grab you out of that head.

[Narrator/Host]

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been advised that the jury has reached a verdict.

[Quay Greer]

I felt confident that this jury would be back with a not guilty verdict.

[Narrator/Host]

We, the jury, find the defendant.

[Debra Roberts]

I didn't think for a second that he was walking out of that courtroom guilty of first degree murder. The emotional roller coaster we have been.

[Quay Greer]

On.

[Debra Roberts]

To now, finally hear it, to know it's over.

[Quay Greer]

I was so happy. But, you know, it wasn't no type of verdict that could have brought Keva back.

[Narrator/Host]

Yuri's mother is devastated.

[Quay Greer]

He was railroaded because he's innocent.

[Debra Roberts]

He's innocent.

[Quay Greer]

Next question.

[Narrator/Host]

In exchange for testifying against Yuri, Jovan Joseph, who pulled the trigger and pled guilty to second degree murder, is sentenced to 15 years. Dimitri Dale, the middleman, manslaughter with a weapon and 45 days.

[Prosecutor]

But the person who is the most guilty is Yuri. And Yuri is the one who understandably and justifiably got the toughest sentence.

[Narrator/Host]

McKeeva's husband, Yuri Jenkins, gets the maximum life in prison. More than a year after his conviction, I went to a prison near Pensacola, Florida, to sit down with Yuri Jenkins. Why did you want to speak to 2020 today?

[Quay Greer]

To get my story out in so many words.

[Narrator/Host]

And that story is.

[Quay Greer]

I'm innocent.

[Narrator/Host]

The jury clearly disagreed, believing the two men who were also convicted in McKeeva's murder. Dimitri said at trial, none of this would have been put in motion had you not approached him, saying, I want to kill my wife.

[Quay Greer]

Yeah, that's a lie. Cause I would have never. I would have never come to you and dude.

[Narrator/Host]

No, but what motive would they have to do this in the first place?

[Quay Greer]

Dale knew that me and my wife were. We were making money. He sent his friend in there to get some money to see if we had cash on us or some type of money.

[Narrator/Host]

But the shooter left and didn't take anything.

[Prosecutor]

If Dimitri was jealous of Makeeva and Yuri and wanted the money, why didn't anyone steal any money? There was nothing taken. This was not a robbery. This was a hit. A murder for hire.

[Narrator/Host]

He's in prison for murder. It's not surprising that Yuri disputes Dimitri and Jovan's version.

[Quay Greer]

Without those statements, I wouldn't be in here. If they didn't give those two idiots those deals, I wouldn't be in here today. Not at all.

[Prosecutor]

Yeah, they got pretty good deals. In exchange for their testimony and some of their Testimony on the less important parts were inconsistent. But on the important parts, the parts about the murder, it was not only consistent, it was corroborated by the evidence.

[Narrator/Host]

The prosecution claimed that she had asked you for a divorce.

[Quay Greer]

She didn't.

[Narrator/Host]

She didn't.

[Quay Greer]

She didn't.

[Narrator/Host]

Did you guys ever talk about divorce?

[Quay Greer]

No. Not at all.

[Narrator/Host]

So you guys were happily married?

[Quay Greer]

Happily? Happily.

[Narrator/Host]

Makeva's own words dispute that. A text she sent to friends. I told him, I want a divorce. I don't believe anything he's saying. Makeva's family, her friends, thought it was over. Yuri would be locked up for life. And then came the name news. Yuri was appealing his verdict. Could his conviction be overturned? Well, the holidays have come and gone once again.

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[Narrator/Host]

Please poll the jury. Juror number one.

[Debra Roberts]

Once the verdict is read, your verdict. Juror number two. Number two, once the verdict is read.

[Narrator/Host]

After the verdict is read. McKeeva's family thinks the justice system is through with Yuri Jenkins, that he'll live the rest of his life in prison. But Yuri files an appeal based on Dimitri Dale and Joe Von Joseph's history of lying to investigators just before we spoke with his trial lawyer.

[Quay Greer]

News as we were preparing for this interview, I received a copy of the 4th District Court of Appeals opinion affirming Uri Jenkins conviction in this case.

[Narrator/Host]

Appeal denied, says the higher court, because the witnesses credibility are questions solely for the jury. Urie's life sentence stands. At Uri's sentencing. Makeva's grandmother shares a victim impact statement.

[Debra Roberts]

All I wanted was justice for my job. They came to the verdict I wanted.

[Quay Greer]

Them to have, but on neither side was a winner.

[Debra Roberts]

My heart definitely ached because I knew there were two children now have lost a parent to death and now one to the Florida prison system. So to me, although he's in prison, there would never really be any real healing.

[Narrator/Host]

And her little brother, he doesn't think it was all about the life insurance money. Why do you think Urie did it?

[Quay Greer]

I mean, Makeeva, she wanted a divorce, but who was actually gonna lose in a divorce, you know, Yuri was, and he knew that.

[Narrator/Host]

So he, in your opinion? He thought he would be on the way out.

[Quay Greer]

He had the mentality like, oh, if I can't love you, no one can love you. That's how I took it. She would have got a divorce. She just didn't have time to.

[Debra Roberts]

Hi, everyone. Happy Tuesday. I just wanted to share this quick little video to motivate you to move forward with starting your business. I go back to her videos. I look at her videos often just to hear her voice. I want to ensure that I get an opportunity to give everyone my undivided attention. Makeba had such an infectious lab. She had such an infection. His spirit, she was such a light. I don't think Yuri will ever know what he took away from.

[Narrator/Host]

From us.

[Debra Roberts]

Everybody needs a Makeba in their life. Everybody. You can watch fresh episodes of bad.

[Quay Greer]

Romance from 2020 on Monday nights at.

[Debra Roberts]

10Pm right after the Bachelor. And of course, tune in on Fridays at 9 for all new episodes of 2020. Thanks for listening.

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[Debra Roberts]

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