By Susan Lindsey
Staff Reporter
A New Boston man has pleaded guilty to lesser charges for his part in the 2023 shooting deaths of two teens outside an apartment complex.
Rondarrius “DaeDae” Evans, 21, pleaded guilty to theft of a firearm, a state jail felony. According to his plea agreement, Evans was sentenced to 180 days to 2 years in a Texas state jail, five years probation, 240 hours of community service and court costs.
With time served, his sentence was deferred and he was released to begin probation by 5th DIstrict Court Judge Bill Miller.
Evans' conviction stemmed from the July 2023 shooting deaths of Nicholas Webster and Princeton Washington, both 19, at the Dogwood Plaza Apartments in New Boston. His co-defendant, Malaki Beckham, was sentenced to life in prison without parole on capital murder charges in October.
Evans testified in Beckham’s trial that the pair were meeting with the teens outside the apartments to trade guns when Beckham’s demeanor changed and he began shooting. Beckham shot Washington once in the chest before turning to fire three shots at a fleeing Webster.
Webster received three gunshot wounds, two to the back and one which grazed his pinkie.
Washington was pronounced dead at the scene. Webster was taken to a Texarkana hospital where he underwent surgery but died 11 days later in the intensive care unit.
After the shooting, Evans and Beckham ran back into an apartment rented by Evan’s then-girlfriend. Beckham then ran out the front door and stole the teen’s vehicle after Evans refused to drive him from the scene.
Evans told jurors at Beckham’s trial that Beckham had told him he planned to rob the teens of the AR-P assault pistol they were bringing to the trade but that he did not want to participate in that plan. He also said he was unaware Beckham had intended to shoot the teens and told Beckham to leave his girlfriend’s home after the shooting occurred.
Evans was taken into custody by the New Boston Police Department following the shootings but was released the same day.
He then fled Bowie County following his release and was arrested in April in Dallas after he was named a Texas Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Evans was initially arrested for two counts of murder but was downgraded in the plea agreement.
Beckham was transferred to serve two life sentences at the Joe F. Gurney unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Palestine.
