The Alabama Court of Appeals upholds Sabronte Rhodes’ murder conviction

Montgomery, AL – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Appeals has affirmed the murder conviction of Sabronte Lashun Rhodes, 46, of Mobile. Rhodes was originally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in Mobile County Circuit Court on May 16, 2023.

The case stems from the fatal shooting of Johnny Soekhies, who was killed between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. on October 25, 2019, in Mobile. A police investigation that included video surveillance footage linked Rhodes and his vehicle to the crime. Rhodes gave multiple statements to law enforcement, admitting that before the shooting he had been dating Soekhies and selling methamphetamine on the dating app Grindr. However, Rhodes attempted to shift blame for the crime onto someone else.

Forensic evidence played an important role in the case, as DNA results confirmed that Soekhies’ DNA was found in Rhodes’ vehicle. Additionally, cell phone data linked Rhodes to the crime scene.

The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office, led by District Attorney Keith Blackwood, successfully prosecuted the case and secured a guilty verdict. Rhodes later requested that his conviction be overturned, but the Alabama Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction in a September 20, 2024 decision.

Attorney General Steve Marshall praised Assistant Attorney General Christopher D. Howell for his work in handling the appeal. He also thanked District Attorney Keith Blackwood and his team for their role in preserving the murder conviction.