🧾 The Gutter Report: Built on Testimony
An Onondaga County murder conviction without forensic evidence — the case of Kenneth Kinsey Jr.
Onondaga County, New York — On a summer night in June 2021, a block party on Syracuse’s South Side ended in gunfire. When the chaos settled, 31-year-old Bobby Fort was dead. Years later, Kenneth Kinsey Jr. would be convicted of Fort’s murder and sentenced to 25 years to life.
There was no DNA tying Kinsey to the shooting.
No firearm recovered and linked to him.
No ballistic match presented to the jury.
Instead, the conviction that sent Kenneth Kinsey Jr. to prison for decades was built almost entirely on testimony — words spoken by witnesses whose accounts are now contradicted by sworn statements, trial transcripts, and evidence the jury never saw.
🧑🏾⚖️ Kenneth Kinsey Jr. in Onondaga County Court during his prosecution.
🔫 The Case Onondaga County Presented
Onondaga County prosecutors charged Kenneth Kinsey Jr. with Murder in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, alleging he intentionally shot Bobby Fort during the block party.
The case moved forward without:
• DNA evidence connecting Kinsey to the shooting
• Ballistic evidence linking a weapon to him
• Forensic proof placing a gun in his hands
At trial, the prosecution relied on eyewitness identification. According to the court, three witnesses identified Kenneth Kinsey Jr. as the shooter. That testimony formed the core of the People’s case.
The verdict came down to credibility — not science.
👁️ The Testimony the Conviction Relied On
One of the prosecution’s key witnesses was Marisha Dixon, who the court later acknowledged was one of three individuals who identified Kenneth Kinsey Jr. as the shooter.
Trial transcripts show Dixon admitted under oath that she had prior contact with law enforcement before June 2021, initially involving a different homicide. She testified that after feeling dismissed by police in that earlier matter, she later re-engaged law enforcement regarding the Kinsey case.
When defense counsel asked Dixon to identify the detective she spoke with, she testified that she was unable to recall his name.
Her identification of Kinsey was not isolated or immediate. It followed repeated contact with police over time.
🧢 Kenneth Kinsey Jr. outside of court — a life beyond a courtroom narrative.
🗣️ The Statement Attributed — and Denied
At trial, Dixon attributed a critical statement to Kim Emanuel, testifying that Emanuel identified Kenneth Kinsey Jr. as the person responsible for Bobby Fort’s death.
That testimony was used to reinforce the prosecution’s theory of guilt.
However, Kim Emanuel has since provided a written statement directly denying that claim.
According to Emanuel:
• She never told Marisha Dixon that Kenneth Kinsey Jr. killed Bobby Fort
• Dixon never came to her home
• She was never questioned by the Syracuse Police Department about the case
This is a named individual formally disputing testimony given under oath.
If Emanuel’s account is accurate, a key component of the prosecution’s corroboration collapses.
📂 Discovery Disputes Raised Before Trial
Concerns about the integrity of witness testimony were raised before trial.
On November 23, 2021, defense attorney Paul Carey informed the court that his investigation revealed significant inconsistencies among witnesses. Some witness identities were withheld under a protective order, preventing Kenneth Kinsey Jr. from knowing who was accusing him.
Carey requested that those identities be disclosed so Kinsey could address why certain individuals would falsely implicate him. The prosecution responded by asserting discovery compliance and indicating it would file a supplemental certificate of compliance.
The record reflects that discovery and witness access were contested issues from the outset.
🎥 Evidence the Jury Never Evaluated
Interrogation footage from June 2021 shows witnesses giving accounts that conflict with later trial testimony, including statements that initially did not identify Kenneth Kinsey Jr. as the shooter.
Those discrepancies were never presented to the jury for evaluation.
If this material was not disclosed to the defense prior to trial, it would constitute Brady and Rosario material — evidence directly relevant to assessing eyewitness reliability.
🎤 Kenneth Kinsey Jr. as an artist — expression and ambition outside the criminal allegations.
🚨 A Life Sentence Without Forensic Proof
Throughout his case, Kenneth Kinsey Jr. has maintained that:
• No forensic evidence linked him to the shooting
• Police body-worn and CID footage was withheld
• Witnesses were pressured or influenced
• Subpoenas were ignored
• False testimony was allowed to stand
• Discovery obligations were violated
Whether every claim is ultimately proven or not, the record already shows a life sentence imposed without forensic evidence, supported by testimony now materially disputed by named individuals.
That is not a technical oversight.
That is the foundation of the conviction.
🌟 Kenneth Kinsey Jr. pursuing his dream as an artist — a future interrupted.
⚖️ The Unresolved Question
Kenneth Kinsey Jr. will spend decades behind bars based on testimony delivered in an Onondaga County courtroom — testimony now contradicted by written statements and evidence the jury never heard.
The question is no longer just who pulled the trigger.
The question is whether Onondaga County got it right — or whether this conviction was built on testimony alone.
Not for clicks — for clarity.
— Elliott Carterr, LFTG Radio
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⚖️ The Gutter Justice Project ↗
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