Now, however, prosecutors have charged four men and one woman -- including Nicholas Davis, seen here -- in relation a slaying that a police report on view below says was motivated by an argument over a crack cocaine deal involving a man nicknamed Messiah and suspects with handles such as Thrill, Snoop and Infamous. Continue for photos and the vivid details.
At approximately 2:47 a.m. on May 19, according to the arrest affidavit for David "Thrill" Hill (it's on view below and is said to be identical to the ones for other suspects), Denver police officers were dispatched to the Quality Inn at 3975 North Peoria Way on a report of shots fired -- but the victim, subsequently identified as Marcus Armstrong-Roman, wasn't on site. A woman named Nicole Thomas had driven him to Children's Hospital, after which she'd raced to the entrance of the emergency room yelling, "They shot him."Armstrong-Roman is said to have had blood on his face. He was pronounced dead at 2:50 a.m.
During an interview, Thomas told investigators that she and Armstrong-Roman, known as Messiah, lived at the Quality Inn with their two kids. That night, however, he'd made three separate crack sales to people at another local motel, the Stay Inn. One involved "an older African American male with a long neck," accompanied by "a naked female who was in bed" and "an African American male wearing a Denver Broncos jersey." Messiah had given the latter $60 worth of crack for $55, she maintained.
A short time later, the Broncos jersey guy called back, saying he was ready for more crack, and Messiah delivered it. But before Messiah and Thomas could leave the Stay Inn, another African American male ran up to the truck and angrily called him a "beast." When Thomas asked what was wrong, she recalled, Messiah told her not to worry about the guy, who he dismissed as a drunk.
Back at the Quality Inn, Messiah and Thomas lingered in the truck for a few minutes because he wanted to smoke and she preferred he didn't do so around their kids, the report states. Then the angry African American called for more crack and Messiah delivered it while she stayed in the vehicle.Upon their return to the Quality Inn, Thomas said she received a phone call from a Hispanic male who "wanted her to make the weight right" -- the implication being that Messiah had shorted him in the transaction.
Continue for more about the murder of Marcus Armstrong Roman, aka Messiah, including additional photos. Messiah denied this charge in that call and subsequent ones, reportedly telling the man "he wasn't giving his shit away for free because he had kids" and insisted that the Broncos jersey guy was "using a rigged scale."The argument gave Thomas "a bad feeling," and she was right to be wary. Before long, an SUV approached while Messiah was still on the line with the Hispanic man. As three armed men approached the truck, Messiah told her to turn on the vehicle -- but as she was putting it in reverse, three gunshots came through the passenger window. Messiah is said to have put himself between Thomas and the bullets.
Over the course of the investigation, David Hill was ID'd as the man in the Broncos jersey -- and Hill is said to have fingered his companions as Nicholas "Infamous" Davis and Adrian "Snoop" Ornelas. Later, Jacob Lozana-Flores was also named, and he reportedly told the cops Davis had fired the shots at Messiah that had killed him a few minutes later.
The Denver District Attorney's Office has now accused Davis of first-degree murder, felony murder, attempted robbery and illegial discharge of a firearm. Meanwhile, Hill, Lozano-Flores and Ornelas are charged with felony murder and attempted robbery -- and a woman named Marlena Terrazas is looking at an accessory count.
Here are booking photos of the five arrestees, followed by the David Hill arrest affidavit.
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
More from our News archive circa May 19: "Photos: Man shot to death at I-70 Quality Inn -- but was it murder?"
