Suvechha Sarkar
In July 2013, Mohammed T. Ismail, lovingly known as Apolo, was working at a gas station during his night shift in Cleveland, Ohio. However, the life of the 48-year-old came to an abrupt halt when he was shot dead at his workplace during an armed robbery. The episode titled ‘The Graveyard Shift’ of A&E’s ‘The First 48’ focuses on the detailed investigation that used several CCTV footage and witness statements to identify the people responsible for his death. The episode also features interviews with his wife and the lead detectives who acted promptly to shed light on the truth.
Mohammed Ismail Was Working a Night Shift When Armed Robbers Opened Fire on Him
Mohammed T. Ismail was born sometime around 1965 in New York. His parents, Taleb and Ondina Ismail, often affectionately called him Apolo. He spent most of his childhood in a loving household in Israel, where he laughed and played with his nine dearest siblings. His family and friends described him as a hardworking and compassionate person. By the time Apolo turned 18, he had relocated to Cleveland, Ohio, in search of better opportunities. There, he met the love of his life, Monica Hite-Ismail, and their conversations paved the way for a deeper connection. Shortly after, the couple tied the knot in the presence of their loved ones. Over the years, they welcomed their children, Dashon, Mohammed Jr., Yasir, Aja, and Zahia, into their lives.
Apolo was deeply devoted to his family and often captured videos of their moments together to preserve the memories. By 2012, he began working as a night-shift clerk at Biggie’s Food Mart in a gas station on East 55th Street. Around 3:50 am on July 30, 2013, officials received a 911 call from a frantic woman, Wendy Sherpel, reporting that three men tried to rob the gas station and had shot two people there. As soon as paramedics and officials arrived at the scene, Wendy identified one of the shot individuals as Apolo and the other person as the owner, Esmeil “Biggie” Ayad. Both the wounded persons were rushed to the hospital, where Biggie’s condition stabilized, and he survived. Unfortunately, Apolo succumbed to his injuries shortly after.
At the scene, authorities discovered blood on the cash counter and the floor, but they couldn’t spot any spent shell casings. They discovered that Wendy was a cook at the gas station. Upon speaking with her, they reportedly learned that one of the shooters was wearing a beige baseball cap and a grey hoodie, while the other two shooters wore green hoodies. According to reports, the witness told police that Apolo initially went outside, where he had a physical altercation with the guys wearing green hoodies. By the time Wendy warned Biggie, Apolo ran inside and said that he had been shot. The three hooded guys then shot at Biggie before fleeing the scene. The autopsy report determined Apolo’s cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the stomach.
Multiple Tips and Surveillance Footage Helped Officials Identify the Killers
After speaking with Wendy at the scene, officials discovered that she was unable to properly see the faces of the shooters. According to court records, Monica contacted them and revealed that the neighborhood people had said that one of the shooters was 16-year-old Shawntez Giles. Detectives then obtained the store’s CCTV footage, which captured the partially obscured faces of the robbers/shooters. They reportedly noted that one of the guys in a green hoodie was wearing camouflage pants with distinctive patterns. All three of the suspects reportedly wore blue latex gloves. The stills of the three assailants were then released to the public, which brought in tips. As per police records, the tipsters identified the person wearing a grey hoodie as Shawntez, while the second suspect, wearing camo pants, was identified as Boo Man.
The records revealed that Boo Man was actually 19-year-old Victor Flournoy. He reportedly had prior convictions for burglary and trespassing. Official records indicate that when investigators searched Victor’s Facebook page, they found a picture of him wearing camo pants, which matched the pattern of the second assailant’s pants. Shortly after, detectives discovered that Shawntez was a suspect in another robbery case that had happened prior to the murder. Meanwhile, they searched through the trash at Shawntez’s house and found blue latex gloves and a pair of sneakers. The shoes reportedly turned out to be a match to the sneakers that the third shooter wore during the murder. According to reports, the surveillance footage from the previous case reportedly also captured the guy wearing the same shoes as Shawntez.
According to investigative reports, another tipster informed the officials that the third assailant was 17-year-old DeShawn T. Terrell. When detectives searched Shawntez’s room in his relative’s house, they uncovered shoes and a grey hoodie that he was wearing at the time of the murder. Official records suggest that one of Victor’s relatives led law enforcement to a house, where DeShawn, Victor, and Shawntez were all arrested in August 2013. As per court records, further investigation linked three prior robberies to Shawntez. DeShawn and Victor were charged with murder and two counts of aggravated robbery. Victor also faced a burglary charge. Shawntez was indicted on the charge of aggravated murder, felonious assault, and four counts of aggravated robbery.
Shawntez, Victor, and DeShawn Are Incarcerated at Ohio Prison Facilities Today
After his indictment, Shawntez was held in custody at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center. During that time, he became a part of the Heartless Felons gang, which resulted in his indictment on the charge of participating in a criminal gang. He eventually avoided a trial by pleading guilty to one count each of aggravated murder and felonious assault, and four counts of aggravated robbery. Shawntez also pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal gang. In April 2015, he was sentenced to 33 years to life in prison. His first parole board hearing is scheduled in June 2038, with his parole eligibility date being August 1, 2038.
Similarly, Victor pleaded guilty to murder, burglary, and two counts of aggravated robbery. He was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole after 18 years. Victor’s first parole board hearing is scheduled for June 2031, with his expected parole eligibility date on August 6, 2031. DeShawn’s jury trial was scheduled for March 9, 2015. However, it was delayed due to his appeal, which was later denied by the court. He later pleaded no contest to murder and two counts of aggravated robbery. On August 4, 2015, DeShawn was sentenced to 21 years to life in prison. His first parole board hearing is scheduled for May 2034, and his expected parole eligibility date is June 27, 2034.
DeShawn later appealed the judgment, claiming that a certain code was unconstitutional because it imposed a life sentence without giving the Trial Court the chance to consider his role in the crime and his age. In June 2016, the court affirmed his conviction and sentence. The defendant later appealed to the Supreme Court of Ohio, but the court denied further review on February 17, 2022. As of writing, DeShawn and Victor are serving their time at the Mansfield Correctional Institution in Mansfield, Ohio. Shawntez is currently incarcerated at Ross Correctional Institution in Chillicothe, Ohio.
