Man convicted of capital murder in death of 'King of the westside' Sylvester 'Fat Head' Morris
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After three days of a trial and jury deliberations, Marquis Flynn was found guilty of capital murder in the death of Montgomery rapper Sylvester "Fat Head" Morris, bringing to an end a six year case.
Morris, 32, was gunned down June 28, 2015. He was sitting inside his car outside a Berkley Drive home during a party when Flynn shot him once in the heart during a robbery, according to a news release from Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey's office.
Flynn, then 21 years old, was taken into custody about a week and a half after the shooting and charged with capital murder.
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Jimmy Pool, upon receiving the verdict, sentenced Flynn to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the release.
“I am proud that my office was able to permanently remove this violent killer from the streets of our community. I pray that this conviction gives Sylvester Morris’ family a measure of comfort and closure," Bailey was quoted as saying in the release. "My office is committed to working each and every day to making Montgomery County safer for all of our citizens. This conviction and sentence should send the message to everyone that if you commit a violent crime, you will be prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence.”
The case languished in the court system for three years before a grand jury issued an indictment against Flynn on two counts of capital murder. One of the capital murder charges covers shooting into a vehicle, while the other covers a death while in the commission of a robbery.
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Morris, known as "King of the westside," was known in Montgomery, not only for his music but also for his generosity towards his community.
Shortly after Morris' death, Montgomery resident Mike Markham recalled the way the rapper would entertain the local children.
"He was the guy that every year, that man would throw functions out there at the park, George Washington Park," Markham said. "It would be free for everyone. He would pay for everything. All these kids would come out there and they'd have bouncy things, snow cone machines. Just have a blast."
Markham said Fat Head would also shuttle kids to school and donated at least $5,000 to the Carver sports program.
In 2019, Daniel Thomas, known as "Big Pimp," lauded Morris while reflecting on the number of local rappers killed in Montgomery.
“Fat Head helped a lot of people on the west side. He was paying the rent for a lot of people. Fat Head was giving scholarships, buying cars for young ladies that didn’t have a way back and forth to work. So why would someone want to take his life?” Thomas asked. “People will look at you and say ‘I’m supposed to have that. Why don’t I have that?’ People will hate you for literally nothing.”
The jury Thursday found Flynn guilty of one count of capital murder, the charge associated with shooting into a vehicle, according to court records filed Thursday before noon.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Kirsten Fiscus at 334-318-1798 or KFiscus@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KDFiscus
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Marquis Flynn guilty of murder of Montgomery rapper Sylvester Morris
