Suspect in Lancaster teen's murder case goes to federal court

DALLAS - One of the suspects in a complex murder case of a North Texas teen at the center of an Amber Alert was in federal court on Tuesday.

Last summer, 13-year old Shavon Randle of Lancaster was kidnapped. Her body was later found in a vacant Oak Cliff home along with 19-year old Michael Titus.

The vacant home then became a shrine in Shavon's memory.

While several suspects are in custody, no one has been charged with Shavon’s murder to this day. Prosecutors say the murders were a part of a scheme of drugs, money, guns and retaliation.

Tuesday’s hearing focused on 27-year-old Darius Fields. The federal weapons case is connected to the 2017 kidnapping and murder of Shavon.

Fields is described as the top man in a drug-dealing operation. He is among the group of people investigated for Shavon’s death. In this federal case, Fields faces charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The indictment indicates Fields was tracked to a Dallas hotel room by investigators trying to locate the kidnapped girl. Detectives found ammunition in the hotel room and an AK-47 pistol inside a vehicle Fields was driving.

Former federal prosecutor Richard Roper is not involved in the case. He says it seems like authorities are in the posture of get a conviction however you can.

“I think it's a classic example like going after Al Capone for tax charges instead of murder,” Roper said. “You take the most readily provable offense you can go after someone for. I think that's just a classic example of that."

Roper says Fields would face a minimum 10 years in prison if convicted of the federal charge.

Evidence in court Tuesday included photos and video from Fields’ two cell phones of himself carrying and firing guns.