Family Pays Ransom for Kidnapped Man, Later Found Dead and Zip-Tied in Alley

In a new development, four men who murdered 28-year-old Andre Simmons Jr. after his family gave them ransom money have been sentenced to life in prison. The news was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia on May 12.

On May 12, Darin Moore Jr., 29, Gabriel Brown, 33, John Sweeney, 29, and James Taylor, 33, were all given life sentences for kidnapping resulting in death. Moore, Brown, and Sweeney were given an additional 45 years in prison for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, first-degree premeditated murder, and felony murder.

The kidnapping and murder occurred in Washington D.C. in June 2018, when the four culprits targeted Simmons “and his associates for robberies.” After Moore’s iCloud account was searched by officials, photos of Simmons’ family home, his associate’s car, and his social media were found saved to Moore’s account. Simmons was a resident of Bowie, Maryland, which is approximately 20 miles northeast of Washington D.C.

Horrific Kidnapping and Murder of Andre Simmons Jr.

According to a sentencing memo, Moore and Sweeney spotted the victim riding on a scooter on June 19, 2018, when they rammed into him before pistol-whipping the man and tying his hands with zip ties. After forcing Simmons into Moore’s vehicle, the kidnappers used Taylor’s phone to call the victim’s family and demand $7,000 from them.

The following day, Simmons’ family paid the 7k ransom, delivering the sum of money to an undisclosed location chosen by the perpetrators. Brown was reported to have picked up the ransom money.

Sadly, at around 6:30 AM on June 20, the four culprits reportedly shot Simmons 19 times and left his body in an alleyway. After the killing of Simmons, his murderers held a meeting in Capitol Heights, Maryland, where they divvied up the ransom money given to them by the Simmons family. All four men have been in police custody since their arrests in the late 2010s.

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