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Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Murder Tapes: Murder of Convenience’ chronicles how a 57-year-old father, Dereke Alexander was murdered behind a popular Akron, Ohio, convenience store in mid-November 2017. The authorities relied on surveillance footage obtained from the store and forensic evidence to apprehend the killers within a couple of months.

How Did Dereke Alexander Die?

Born to Alexander Finney Sr. and the late Rosemary Finney, Dereke DeWayne Alexander Sr., 57, was employed by Liniform Linen & Uniform Service in Akron, Ohio, in November 2017. Ranier Alexander stated, “My father was incredibly energetic, animated, kind, and caring. He never stepped into a room, and you didn’t know he was in the room. He had a big heart and a definitive sense of humor — always having something funny to say.” On November 16, the Akron police received a distressing 911 call regarding a shootout and a victim lying on the road.

When the emergency respondents arrived at the scene — near the Baho Convenience Store, a popular hangout on 460 West Market Street — around 5:30 pm, they found Dereke with four gunshot wounds. He appeared to have his work clothes on, and the emergency medical team determined he was still alive. They rushed the fatally injured man to the Cleveland Clinic Akron General, where he died within hours of arrival. The evidence suggested the murder might have been done by someone who knew the victim owing to the personal nature of the crime.

Who Killed Dereke Alexander?

The detectives interviewed the 911 caller — an antique store owner near the Baho Convenience Store — and she claimed to have been a witness to the crime. She alleged she saw the suspect running away when she looked out of her store window after hearing “four or five shots.” The store owner described the alleged suspect as a thin, tall African-American male with dark clothing and red soles. The police issued a BOLO with the possible shooter’s description after learning he had fled southbound on Oakdale Avenue.

Meanwhile, the crime scene technicians scoured the area to find some spit beside the body and collected it as forensic evidence. They also located a broken cell phone a few yards away, though they could not determine whether it belonged to the victim or the shooter(s). The investigators interviewed some of Dereke’s neighbors to learn he was “hard-working and kind and was known as the ‘candy man’ in the neighborhood because he always handed out candies to the kids.” They expressed their shock at learning about him being fatally shot.

However, one of the neighbors stated that Dereke might have had “a weed” problem and “messed around with ‘working girls.'” The police soon learned the ‘working girls’ referred to sex workers on the street and hypothesized whether he was shot over some argument over money. One of the responding patrol officers also informed the detectives he recalled Dereke from a 911 call two weeks before the shooting. The victim had called the authorities to notify them he was assaulted by someone trying to break into his apartment over some debt.

While Dereke seemed reluctant to divulge much about the alleged perpetrator and provided a vague description, the police juggled with the possibility of whether the two incidents might be intertwined. Meanwhile, Dereke’s sister called the police to inform them about her brother’s involvement with sex workers, especially some twin sisters. The officers brought one of the alleged sisters in for questioning, and though she stated she was at the Baho Convenience Store, she denied having any knowledge of the crime or the shooter(s).

However, the breakthrough came when the surveillance footage from the Baho Convenience Store arrived. Dereke, 57, could be seen leaving Baho and turning up Oakdale Avenue, where he lived. Reviewing the CCTV footage, the police spotted two individuals following him into the store and roaming around him, clearly keeping an eye on him. One of the police officers identified one of the suspects as Dexter L. Moore, then 34, of Wildwood Avenue in Akron. He had a warrant out against him for parole violation and was arrested.

While Dexter refused to state he played any role in Dereke’s murder, he told the officers his companion went by the street name “Rollie.” Meanwhile, the forensic investigators went through the cell phone retrieved from the crime scene and found it belonged to Jerry D. Alford Jr., of Crosby Street in Akron. Dereke’s cousin informed the police he was at Highland Square Pharmacy on November 16 evening when he met with Dereke and asked for a ride to Baho. However, he made a startling revelation when the cousin pulled his car into the parking lot.

As Dereke exited the vehicle, he pointed at one of the individuals standing in front of the store and told his cousin he (later identified as Jerry) had threatened to kill him at an Akron bus stop in the morning. According to police reports, Dereke owed Jerry some money, and he had possibly killed the victim over the debt. The authorities issued an arrest warrant, but Jerry surprisingly turned himself in on January 26, 2018. However, he refused to speak with the investigators and immediately lawyered up.

Where Are Jerry Alford and Dexter Moore Now?

During their early 2019 trial, the prosecution alleged Jerry and Dexter stalked Dereke before Jerry finally shot him while he exited the convenience store in Akron’s West Hill neighborhood. The prosecutors stated the spit near the body matched Jerry’s DNA and put him at the crime scene, and his phone was also found nearby. The surveillance footage — which had no audio — also made it appear he and Dexter stalked Dereke, and the gunshots happened within ten seconds of them following the victim out of the store.

The prosecution claimed Dexter was complicit in Dereke’s death, though Jerry pulled the trigger. Jerry’s defense counsel tried to blame others, including a suspicious white SUV seen driving in the area around the time of the shooting and the owner of a set of car keys police found near the store who has a felony record. On March 4, 2019, a jury convicted Jerry of murder with a gun specification and having a weapon under disability. Dexter was also convicted of second-degree felonious assault and obstructing justice.

On April 19, a judge sentenced Jerry to 21 years to life and Dexter to five years. He stated, “This was a senseless and evil act over a $60 debt. Dereke was a beloved brother, father, and son. The family and community will feel the pain of his loss for a long time. Our community is safer as both Alford and Moore will spend a significant amount of time in prison.” Jerry, 41, remains incarcerated at the Grafton Correctional Institution and will be eligible for parole in January 2039. Dexter, 38, is serving his sentence today at the Trumbull Correctional Institution.

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