Who is Isaiah Stokes? 'Law & Order' actor indicted for broad daylight murder of Queens man
QUEENS, NEW YORK CITY: A television actor, known for working in ‘Law & Order’ and ‘Boardwalk Empire’ has been accused of murdering a man in Jamaica – a neighborhood in New York City borough of Queens. According to prosecutors on Friday, July 16, Isaiah Stokes was indicted for the broad daylight murder of Tyrone Jones as he was sitting inside his jeep in Queens.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office stated that the incident happened in the afternoon of February 7 when Stokes allegedly fatally shot Jones a number of times. He has now been prosecuted on a three-count indictment charging him with second-degree murder and weapons possession. Surveillance video of the fateful day reportedly showed him leaving a vehicle near the intersection of Linden Boulevard and 200th Street before approaching a parked white Jeep Grand Cherokee.
READ MORE
Who is Richard Donner's wife? 'Superman' and 'Lethal Weapon' director dies at 91
How did Lisa Banes die? Actor, 65, was on way to meet wife Kathryn Kranhold
He allegedly went to the driver’s side window of the jeep and fired at least 11 shots, taking the life of Jones, who lived about a mile and a half from the scene. If found guilty of the charges, he could face 25 years to life imprisonment. In a statement, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, “The defendant is accused of unloading nearly eleven shots during this brazen afternoon shooting. Gun violence is all too prevalent in our neighborhoods. We will not allow it to become the norm.”
Who is Isaiah Stokes?
Stokes is a native of Queens, New York City. He is the son of a Jazz musician and the grandson of a Blues player, who was brought up in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Rochdale Village. According to the IMDB page, Stokes began his “college career at Delaware State University (DSU) where he double majored in Accounting and Business Management with a concentration in finance and banking. While in college, his attention soon gravitated towards his inherited musical talents.
While at the college, he founded the campus' first student organization for Hip Hop preservation, called ‘From Our Neighborhood To Yours (FONTY)’, which proved a hit. After that, there was no looking back for Stokes as he went on to establish himself as a Hip Hop artist by releasing his first mixtape -- ‘Like it or not Vol. I’. He eventually turned ‘FONTY’ into his own record label, FONTY Records.
“Shortly there after, his music career went into full gear. In 2002, Isaiah toured with legendary Jazz musician Donald Byrd. In 2003 through 2004, Isaiah entered multiple talent showcases including Jimmy's Uptown Café and Monday Night Madness with Maria Davis at the Soul Café. Isaiah also appeared on many mixtapes including Unsigned Underground, DJ Superstar Jay and DJ Self a.k.a. the prince of New York,” the IMDB page stated.
Besides, Stokes also tried his luck in acting as he appeared in ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ season 2 of HBO's ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ ‘Louie,’ and ‘Rescue Me’. He has also “has appeared in several feature films as well including ‘Boy Wonder’, Camron's ‘Killa Season’, 50 Cent's movie ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’, and as one of the main characters in ‘City Teacher’ featuring Alicia Keys' mom, Terria Joseph,” the page added.