Police: Teen Stabbed To Death, Body Set On Fire Over $350
By Steve Beck, Al Novack, Oren Liebermann
NORTH COVENTRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) — Shakeem Carter was led away from North Coventry district court in handcuffs. He has been charged with a crime before, but this is the first time he has been charged with murder.
On Wednesday morning, 20-year-old Carter was officially charged with the murder of 17-year-old Kevin Allen.
"I can rest and sleep now and know that he will be rotting in hell," Allen's mom Jacqueline Castile-Dixon said Wednesday.
Allen was found dead inside his father's North Coventry Township apartment following a fire at the residence on February 12th (see previous story).
Authorities say Carter, 20, went with Kevin Allen, 17, to the North Coventry apartment of Allen's father on a SEPTA bus.
Once inside the apartment, investigators said Carter attacked Allen with three separate kitchen knives – all for $350 that Allen's father left for him.
Investigators said Carter stabbed Allen more than 20 times before dousing Allen's body in vegetable oil then lighting his body and the apartment on fire.
"There was blood covering the stairs. There was blood covering the door itself. And on the walls on either side, there was blood splattered," Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan explained during a news conference Wednesday. Hogan said Allen was stabbed in the back, neck and head.
"It's horrific," said Kayanna Stutzman, a family friend of the victim. "I just can't comprehend how the beast could do this to a kid."
Investigators spotted Carter on SEPTA bus surveillance cameras going to Allen's apartment and leaving alone 90 minutes later. He can be seen checking his hands and stomach for blood then counting a stack of money.
When detectives searched Carter's apartment, they say he had blood on his shoes from the night of the murder. He'd thrown away the rest of his clothing from the night of the murder.
Investigators say Carter denied spending time with the victim on the day of the murder, but Carter's girlfriend told police that he spent hours with the victim that day.
Detectives say they were able to identify Carter from a series of tattoos on his neck and hand. Investigators say one of the identifying tattoos was one on his neck that read "Cutthroat."
Carter faces charges of murder, arson, robbery and more.
