CLEVELAND — Following a week of trial proceedings, a Cuyahoga County jury has convicted Terrell Silver for the murders of four people in Cleveland that took place five years ago this month.
Silver, 35, was found guilty of a total of seven counts of aggravated murder, along with a host of lesser charges ranging from aggravated burglary to felonious assault. Jurors technically acquitted him of three additional counts of aggravated murder, but these decisions were canceled out by his convictions for different scenarios of the crime, namely for aggravated murder against all victims while in the process of committing aggravated burglary.
Prosecutors had stated Silver approached the four victims inside a residence near East 144th Street and Kinsman Road in Mount Pleasant. Per officials, he shot all four as they were lying down on two mattresses before fleeing the area, and their bodies were only discovered about two weeks later.
The names of those murdered are as follows:
- 23-year-old Christopher Monroe, of Cleveland
- 20-year-old Dejuan Damar Willis, of Twinsburg
- 19-year-old Aiyanna Quitman, of Euclid
- 18-year-old Jazmyne Lawson, of Euclid
In addition, Lawson was 5 1/2 months pregnant at the time of the murders. Silver was convicted of killing her unborn child, bringing the total number of victims to five.
Silver was not indicted for the murders until April of 2023, when he was already in prison for separate crimes of attempted robbery and weapons offenses. One of Silver's former cellmates testified during the trial that Silver had once confessed to killing four people, including a pregnant woman. and investigators eventually linked a gun used in an unrelated July 2020 shooting back to the murders. Investigators also claimed testing on the weapon revealed the DNA of at least five people, including Silver.
According to authorities, Silver used the weapon on Oct. 1, 2019, in the attempted murder of Rubin James. Prosecutors claim this was "an attempt to shut him (James) up because he ... believed he knew what happened in that house," in reference to the murders.
On Monday, Silver was also found guilty of crimes related to shooting at James.
"Today's conviction is a significant step in justice for Jazmyne Lawson, Aiyanna Quitman, Dejuan Damar Willis, and Christopher Monroe," Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley said in a statement following the verdict. "This case took several years of hard work by law enforcement, and this demonstrates victims will not be forgotten in Cuyahoga County."
In closing arguments prior to the verdict, Silver's legal team contended their was reasonable doubt for an acquittal, noting that no DNA evidence was recovered at the crime scene and only 15-20% of the DNA on the purported murder weapon could be attributed to Silver.
"Fifteen percent?" attorney Daniel J. Misiewicz asked. "I wouldn't rely on 15% to buy a car."
However, prosecutors pointed to the cellmate's recollections, as well as further testimony related to past disputes between Silver and two of the victims.
"One person had the motive to do it," assistant prosecutor Kevin Filiatraut said, before pointing to Silver. "Him."
A date for Silver's sentencing has not been set. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Previous coverage of the Silver trial:
- State rests its case against Terrell Silver, judge drops some charges but lets murder accusations stand
- Day 4 of Terrell Silver trial: DNA analyst says testing links defendant to weapon used in Cleveland quadruple murder
- Prosecutors present evidence in trial of Cleveland man accused of 2019 quadruple murder