Where is Danielle Boone’s killer today?

Netflix’s ‘I Am a Killer: Redemption’ delves deep into the 2005 murder case of Danielle Boone by her boyfriend Jamel Dontez Hatcher. Although the police charged him and the court convicted him, he insisted for years that it was just an accident. Using an exclusive interview with the convict himself, along with other members of his and Danielle’s family, viewers were given a detailed account of the tragedy from both sides of the coin, raising several questions about Jamel’s whereabouts.

Jamel Dontez Hatcher claimed that Danielle’s shooting death was an accident

Jamel Dontez Hatcher was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 21, 1986. Although he seemingly came from a loving household, the neighborhood did not exactly provide a safe environment. He explained that growing up he always had to look over his shoulder to avoid being jumped or injured. Jamel had always been a creatively gifted and talented person and wanted to pursue a career in poetry or make a mark in the music world. Nevertheless, his hopes for a bright future were dashed when he became involved in drug and alcohol cases. However, his life had a turning point when he was 17. Danielle Boone came into Jamel’s life as a ray of sunshine and positivity, and he felt that everything would be okay. After knowing each other for about a year, they moved in together.

With Danielle’s love and support, things began to change for the better for Jamel. He had improved his lifestyle and aspired to build a successful life with his beautiful partner. At the age of 18, the couple became pregnant and welcomed a beautiful baby girl into their lives in April 2005 – Chyanne Hatcher. Unfortunately, soon after, they faced financial hardships and Jamel started dealing drugs again. On the fateful evening of May 5, 2005, Jamel and his friends were chilling at the former’s home. Jamel and his friends had used alcohol and drugs. He said he was out of his mind and searched the house for a specific weapon after his friends left his apartment. The father of one started thinking one of his friends had stolen his gun and started to lose his patience.

He said he found a shotgun and demonstrated his frustration as Danielle tried to calm him down. According to Jamel’s account, he accidentally shot Danielle in the head while drunk. The latter died instantly from the gunshot wound. The next day he was arrested and charged with murder. During his interrogation, he claimed that at the time of the murder he was at the home of a friend named Latanya Harper, with whom he had spent the night. Upon questioning Latanya, authorities learned that although she had slept with Jamel, this was within hours of Danielle’s death. After connecting the dots, detectives believe the couple got into a heated argument that fateful evening, and then Jamel suffered the fatal blow to the head.

Jamel hopes to be released from prison early with the support of his loved ones

Nearly three years after the shooting of Danielle Boone, on February 22, 2008, Jamel Dontez Hatcher pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter to avoid a trial and receive a reduced sentence. Consequently, he was sentenced to twenty years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend and the mother of his child. Because Danielle had a good relationship with her grandparents, Jamel contacted them three years after his conviction and expressed his remorse and guilt. He also showed determination to redeem himself as he completed multiple prison courses. Moreover, in 2014, he even created a program called The Danielle Project, which aims to combat toxic masculinity, something he claimed he had instilled early in his life.

In 2016, Jamel began campaigning for his early release, claiming he had shown good behavior during his time in prison. A year or two later, the convict also contacted his girlfriend from Minnesota, Janae Bates, a communications director for a faith-based community, and asked for her support in obtaining an early release for him. Having known each other since Jamel was 16, they began to bond as they interacted more and more. Before they knew it, they started dating before taking the next step in the relationship and getting married on March 3, 2021. Danielle’s grandparents, Ernest and Janet Jenkins, who had supported him and Janae, also attended the wedding via video call. .

When Chyanne turned 17, Jamel contacted her through a website link he sent her. Until then, she was raised by Melanie, who she believed was her biological mother, and had no idea of ​​her actual parents. On the website he had posted a letter he had written for her, proving that he was her father. In November 2022, his daughter Chyanne visited him in prison for the first time. Chyanne and Melanie shared a good bond with Jamel, also writing in favor of the convict and expressing their support for his early release. As of today, Jamel is serving his sentence at the Richland Correctional Institution in Mansfield, Ohio, while still maintaining that Danielle’s death was an accident. Awaiting his parole eligibility date at the end of 2025, he continues to fight for his parole, with the support of Danielle’s grandparents, his wife and his daughter Chyanne.

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