A suspect in a September shooting who was previously convicted of murder in 2012 before being exonerated in 2021 has turned himself in to police, according to Philadelphia authorities.
Jahmir Harris, 32, was wanted in connection to a Sept. 5 shooting that occurred at 2 a.m. on the 1700 block of North 56th Street and left a 50-year-old man, Charles Gossett, dead after a bullet struck him in the back of his head, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia. He appeared in security footage as the alleged getaway driver.
“Jahmir Harris is in custody. Harris had an active arrest warrant for homicide,” the Philadelphia Police Department told Fox News Digital on Friday.
Harris turned himself into to police custody on Friday afternoon at 400 North Broad Street, according to police.
Philadelphia is offering a $20,000 for information leading to Harris’ whereabouts.
(Philadelphia PD)
“Our family is distraught. We lost our brother. Our mother lost their son. His kids lost their father. And the community lost a leader,” Linda Cruz, Gossett’s sister, told Fox News’ “The Story” on Friday. “He was a foot soldier for Philadelphia, [an] underdog for everyone that was trying to better themselves.”
Cruz said Gossett’s killing was the second murder in her family, and that Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s criminal justice programs aren’t working, despite his claims.
“We’re fed up, and we’re not going to take it anymore. The system and everything that’s going on, it’s broken, and we’re here to fix it,” she said, characterizing Krasner’s behavior as more helpful to suspects than victims.
Prosecutors previously convicted Harris of first-degree murder for fatally shooting Louis Porter, 45, on Dec. 23, 2012, in a Walgreens parking lot. Harris served eight years in prison before he was exonerated in 2021 after his lawyer asked Krasner to re-examine the case.
Jahmir Harris served eight years in prison before he was exonerated last year after his lawyer asked Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to re-examine the case.
(Philly’s Most Wanted)
“When you see that same situation happen again to another family, it just ripped the band-aid off. It’s all coming back,” Walter Porter, Louis Porter’s brother, told WPVI.
Porter went on to blame the criminal justice system, telling the outlet: “This could have been avoided. This didn’t have to happen.”
Krasner’s office told FOX 29 that Harris’ “constitutional rights had been violated at the time of his prosecution because information implicating another individual as the likely shooter had not been turned over to the defense council.”
The DA’s Conviction Integrity Unit said in a 2021 objection that the results of the city’s investigation into the 2012 shooting were “simple.”
“Harris did not shoot Porter. Harris did not participate in the shooting death of Porter. In fact, shortly after Porter was shot, law enforcement had strong evidence implicating A.J. as the lone shooter,” the CIU’s objection said, according to the Michigan State University College of Law.
Judge Rose Marie de Fino Nastasi criticized the decision to exonerate Harris at the time.
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“This court wonders how the commonwealth felt confident in releasing a murder suspect from prison when the commonwealth said one page earlier that the criminal investigation in this matter was still ongoing,” the judge said during a 2021 hearing, according to a transcript obtained by FOX 29.
Philadelphia authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact 215-686-TIPS (8477) or text a tip to (215-686-TIPS (8477). Tipsters can also submit information directly to Det. Campbell at 215-686-3334 ext. 3335.
Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
