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A Northampton County jury found Alkiohn Dunkins, 26, guilty of first-degree murder and related charges after seven days of testimony detailing the 2018 killing. Holmes was discovered near a dumpster outside an apartment complex, suffering from four stab wounds to his neck and torso, authorities said.
At the time, Dunkins was a member of a gang called “Money Rules Everything,” according to the Attorney General’s Office.
“This violent criminal organization has terrorized the people of the Lehigh Valley for far too long,” Sunday said. “This verdict takes one of their members off the street so he cannot victimize anyone else.”
Investigators learned that Holmes and Dunkins were Facebook friends and had lived together for some time. Holmes had confided in others that he feared Dunkins would kill him.
Alkiohn Dunkins's Facebook profile showing his friend list which includes murder man, Tyrell Holmes.
Authorities arrested Dunkins along with three others: Miles Harper, 26, of Allentown; Yzire Jenkins-Rowe, 27, of Collegeville; and Zahmire Welcome, 26, of Whitehall. Harper has already pleaded guilty to aggravated arson and is awaiting sentencing, while cases against Jenkins-Rowe and Welcome are pending.
Holmes, remembered by loved ones as a “vibrant” young man taken too soon, was laid to rest following services at Second Baptist Church in Bethlehem, according to Jesse Johnson Funeral Home. Friends and family flooded his tribute wall with heartfelt messages, recalling his kindness and sense of humor.
Dunkins was no stranger to the criminal justice system. A former Moravian College football player, he was previously convicted of robbery, conspiracy, and assault after posing as a campus police officer and robbing drug dealers at gunpoint. His conviction led to a five- to 10-year prison sentence, which was upheld by a state Superior Court panel.
Dunkins's mother maintains his innocence and stated in a Facebook video that she "trusts in God." You can watch the video in the player below.
Dunkins will be sentenced for Holmes’ murder on May 7.
Senior Deputy Attorneys General Christopher Phillips and Katherine McDermott prosecuted the case.
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