Kriti Mehrotra
When Troy Causey Jr. died at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, Texas, on March 24, 2014, it left his family, the entire basketball community, and local officials with more questions than answers. The 18-year-old had a bit of a checkered past, but his dedication to his beloved sport and his desire to make a name for himself in the future were strong. Therefore, as explored in ID’s ‘Game Day Murders: Last Chance High,’ it was a shock when it came to light that he had been murdered at the hands of someone he once trusted with everything.
Troy Causey Jr. Was a Skilled Basketball Athlete With Plans to Play at a Colligiate Level
Although Troy Causey Jr. was born on December 22, 1995, in Dallas, Texas, to Tammy LeRoy and Troy Causey, he primarily grew up in the steady presence of only his mother. Despite being a single mother who worked from “8 to faint,” she made sure to be there for her son at every step and even kept him busy after school with extracurricular activities. Whether it was taekwondo or tutoring, she made sure he stayed occupied so he wouldn’t get involved with the wrong crowd, which ultimately paved the way for his passion for basketball.
According to former Southeastern Louisiana basketball player Tammy, her son could make a layup on a 10-foot hoop at the age of 3 and showed incredible raw talent. She thus coached Troy to the best of her abilities until he was 8, let him hone his skills on his own for a couple of years, and then took him to a tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, at the age of 10. That’s when all their lives changed as they came across a referee named Roferrel Simpson, who ended up becoming a key part of their lives rather quickly as he and Tammy fell in love. Troy became an elder brother in 2007 to a boy named Sentel Simpson and then again in 2010 to a girl named Rienne Simpson. When the couple tied the knot in 2011, they all officially became a family.
Troy loved his family, as per Tammy, but they did have some tough times over the years, as he had been in special education since first grade because he was “emotionally disturbed.” She never elaborated on his past, but it is known that he received a waiver to enroll at Berkner High School as a freshman, which was revoked following an unspecified incident. Then, following some discipline issues and a non-violent altercation with his stepfather in 2012, he spent 8 months in a juvenile facility, where he kept up with his schoolwork and basketball. Hence, following his release, he not only enrolled at Wilmer-Hutchins High School but also allegedly received a basketball scholarship from Seminole State College in Norman, Oklahoma.
Troy Causey Jr. Died of Injuries to His Skull and Brain
Troy had turned his life around by the time March 2014 rolled around, focusing on both his beloved sport and his loving family in equal measures. He didn’t live at home because his school was a bit far away; instead, he stayed with his best friend at a mutual friend’s place and spent weekends at home. However, the second-to-last weekend of the fateful month was a bit different, as he had gone to play basketball on Friday, and his mother was busy on Saturday and Sunday. She planned to pick him up on Sunday evening so they could spend some time together and buy a phone since his had broken, but it was too late. That day, on March 23, he was also named the district’s Newcomer of the Year by all its basketball coaches, but he never knew.
It was 9 pm when Dallas emergency services responded to a 911 call to 6324 Cinnamon Oak Drive, only to find Troy barely breathing. His skull was fractured, and his ears were bleeding, so they immediately put a breathing tube into his throat and rushed him to Baylor Hospital, where he sadly slipped into a coma. The next day, on March 24, 2014, the 18-year-old was declared dead after a neuro exam. His ensuing autopsy classified his manner of death as a homicide, detailing that he had a 4-inch skull fracture above his left ear, internal brain bleeding, and severe brain swelling. The medical examiner initially ruled he suffered blunt force trauma, but the county’s chief medical examiner later claimed it was possible his injuries were from a fall.
Troy Causey Jr.’s Killer Confessed to the Authorities Within 48 Hours
Almost as soon as investigations into Troy’s homicide began, officials learned he was attacked outside the place he was living during the weekdays. He didn’t seem to have any enemies, but a neighbor claimed they saw a fight and two young men running away from the scene after one dropped to the ground. On March 25, Troy’s best friend, roommate, and rival basketball athlete from another school, Johnathan Turner, came to the police station alongside an attorney. He was also accompanied by their mutual friend Willie Hollins and his attorney. They asked to speak with a detective, revealing that Troy and Johnathan had agreed to a physical fight outside Willie’s home, where they all lived, after getting into an argument about a video game.
According to their statements, Johnathan got a “good hit” during the fight – possibly a strong upper cut – causing Troy to lose his balance, fall down, and hit his head on the ground. Willie was interviewed first, followed by Johnathan, and both their accounts matched to a tee, but officials remained skeptical. The initial blunt force trauma report and the fact that the blood splatter went at least as far as 5’4″ from the spot where Troy’s head had lain made them think there was more to the story. They hypothesized that the victim was hit, kicked, or somehow injured again after he fell, but both young men alleged that neither of them laid a hand on him after they saw him go down. Instead, they claimed they fled the scene.
Officials let both Johnathan and Willie go after their statements owing to a lack of evidence, and then continued their investigations. As per records, they canvassed the area, followed up with neighbors, and spoke to friends as well as family members, almost all of whom backed the duo. They alleged they saw/heard about the one-on-one fight between Troy and Johnathan, which resulted in the victim falling to the ground, hitting his head, and getting injured while Johnathan and Willie ran away. However, on May 1, one of Johnathan’s schoolmates told officials that he had confessed to him around a week or two after the incident, stating that he and Willie had kicked Troy in the head a few times after he fell down.
After a Deferred Sentence, Johnathan Turner is Currently Leading a Quiet Life
With the statements of the schoolmate, Johnathan Turner was arrested on one count of first-degree murder on May 5, 2014. He was subsequently held in a county jail on a $500,000 bond, which was reduced to $50,000 a short while later. The grand jury had already lessened the charge against him to manslaughter based on the witness accounts and the chief medical examiner’s testimony. His bond was paid by one of his childhood friends and his mentor, with the latter then moving him in with his family for stability and support. In the end, on July 6, 2015, Johnathan pleaded guilty to manslaughter and also apologized to Troy’s family by stating, “I never meant for it to go down like that. I’m really sorry.”
Johnathan faced up to 20 years in prison if he had stood trial, but his plea deal secured a relatively lenient term of 7 years’ deferred probation. He thus remained under state supervision until 2022, during which he continued playing basketball at the collegiate level after being accepted to Ranger College in August 2015. According to records, he had allegedly also received a basketball scholarship from Seminole State College alongside Troy, but the reported offer was later withdrawn. However, his legal troubles didn’t end.
Johnathan was arrested on the campus of his community college on sexual assault charges in March 2017 before being booked into Eastland County jail. He was charged with one count each of second-degree felony sexual assault and third-degree felony obstruction & intimidation, for which his bond was set at $300,000. However, around a year later, in August 2018, he stood trial for these two counts and was found not guilty by a jury – in other words, he was acquitted and granted freedom. Since then, it appears as if he has not only managed to remain on the right side of the law but also preferred to lead a quiet life well away from the limelight.
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