A major development has emerged in a long-dormant Chicago murder case, implicating a prominent local rapper and exposing a network of informants. Court documents obtained by this publication reveal that THF Bayzoo, born Devon Shyโkeer, cooperated with police following his 2014 arrest for a 2009 homicide.
The case stems from the fatal shooting of Dominic Barnes, a member of the Dirty Low Street Gang, on July 5, 2009. Barnes was standing on a corner in the Bronzeville area when two men approached him. An argument ensued, leading one man to produce a revolver and fire five times, killing Barnes.
Police reports indicate the shooting was an act of retaliation. Hours earlier, a shootout had wounded several people at the 50 Yard Line Lounge on the cityโs South Side. The assailants, seeking revenge, targeted Barnes after asking his gang affiliation.
Initial leads in the investigation went cold for years. A juvenile informant allegedly identified Bayzoo as the shooter months after the murder, but detectives could not corroborate the statement with other witnesses who became unreachable.
The case broke open in June 2014, nearly five years to the day after the murder. Detectives interviewed an unnamed informant inside the Cook County Department of Corrections. This source provided critical details, stating he was present with several individuals, including “Cerez” aka “Babay,” later identified as Bayzoo.
The informant named others allegedly involved: Antoine Rice (Buddha), Christopher Campbell, and Monty Vallejo, who owned a gray Monte Carlo matching the getaway vehicle description. The group reportedly discussed retaliating against “low end” rivals for the lounge shooting.
A forensic examination of the heavily redacted 26-page FOIA response reveals a potential identity for this key informant. On page 121, a clerical error failed to redact the prefix “CLA” before the word “related.” This strongly suggests the informant was “Kenny CLA,” widely known as THF Bruh Bruh, a former associate.
This discovery corroborates long-standing street rumors and recent social media ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐๐พ๐ธ๐๐ that Bruh Bruh provided state’s evidence. The documents show the informant gave a detailed handwritten account of the murder and the participants’ movements.
Following this informantโs statement, police moved swiftly. Multiple alleged accomplices were brought in for questioning. According to the investigative report, Rice, Campbell, and Vallejo all subsequently made statements directly naming Bayzoo as the shooter.
On November 5, 2014, Devon Shyโkeer (THF Bayzoo) was arrested and brought to Chicago Police Area Central for questioning. Upon his arrest, Bayzoo also engaged in cooperative behavior before being directly implicated in the murder.
Detectives presented him with a series of photographs. Bayzoo identified Antoine Rice and Christopher Campbell, along with four other men, providing their street names to investigators. He stated he only associated with Rice and two others, claiming Campbell and Vallejo were not in his age group.
This act of identifying individuals and providing their aliases to police is legally considered cooperation. The interview was terminated only when detectives shifted focus, directly implicating Bayzoo in the Barnes homicide, at which point he requested an attorney.
The trajectory of the case paints a picture of mutual cooperation. A juvenile informant pointed to Bayzoo in 2009. A 2014 jailhouse informant, likely THF Bruh Bruh, provided the framework. Accomplices then named Bayzoo as the triggerman. Finally, upon his own arrest, Bayzoo identified associates for police.
This revelation follows recent speculation about Bayzooโs legal standing. Last month, he was detained by the ATF for possession of firearm switches but released without federal charges, fueling online debate about potential cooperation. The newly unearthed 2014 documents provide concrete evidence of past cooperation.
The exposure of these documents challenges public narratives and street credibility. In recent interviews, Bayzoo has alluded to being betrayed by associates. While this may be true, the paperwork confirms he also provided information to authorities.
The fallout from this disclosure is expected to be significant within Chicagoโs drill rap scene and the communities it represents. The case underscores the intense pressure faced by individuals in high-profile criminal investigations and the complex web of statements that can determine judicial outcomes.
Legal experts note that identifying individuals from photographs during an interrogation, as Bayzoo did, is a common investigative technique. However, such cooperation is often leveraged by prosecutors and can severely damage a defendant’s reputation on the street.
The murder case against Bayzoo ultimately proceeded. The cooperation detailed in these documents likely played a role in the stateโs strategy. The full legal disposition of the 2009 murder charge remains a matter of public record, but these documents reveal the previously hidden investigative steps.
This story, verified through official police reports, moves the conversation from rumor to documented fact. It reveals a scenario where multiple individuals, including the primary suspect, provided information to authorities in a desperate bid to navigate the justice system.
The community and fans are now left to reconcile the artist’s public persona with the actions documented in these stark police files. The saga of the 2009 murder of Dominic Barnes continues to resonate, exposing the enduring and complicated legacies of street violence and judicial cooperation.