Reginald Little
IOWA CITY — The Iowa Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld the first-degree murder conviction of an Iowa City man involved with two others in a fatal drug robbery in 2020.
The court said there was substantial evidence to show first-degree robbery was committed by another person and that Reginald Little either aided and abetted or engaged in joint criminal conduct with that person.
Little, then 46, and Durojaiye Rosa, then 24, both of Iowa City, planned to steal drugs and money from Kejuan Winters, 21, when the robbery ended in the fatal shooting of Winters on April 20, 2020, in his apartment at 1960 Broadway St., Iowa City.
The appeals court found the trial judge didn’t err in denying Little’s motion for new trial. The judge considered the weight of the evidence and explained why the court found the testimony of the co-conspirators credible, despite some inconsistencies in their testimony.
Little was sentenced in January 2022 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During sentencing, he denied taking part in the robbery.
According to trial testimony, drugs and revenge led to the murder of Winters.
Little had previously bought drugs from Winters, and Rosa was Winters’ roommate. Both men knew Winters had a large supply of drugs.
The men hadn’t planned to kill Winters during the robbery, but a struggle ensued, and Winters was fatally shot while his two children and his girlfriend, Tashauna Gooden, were in their apartment. The children and girlfriend were not injured.
Rosa pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was sentenced to up to 50 years in prison. He testified at Little’s trial that he had a gun “go missing” and that he thought Winters knew who he had taken it. Rosa said he was mad because Winters hadn’t done anything about the missing gun, and that’s when he hatched the robbery plan with Little.
Durojaiye Rosa
Patrick Bland
Patrick Bland, 34, of Rockford, Ill., also convicted and sentenced to up to 60 years in prison, testified Little brought him into the robbery scheme.
Police initially didn’t know Bland was involved until they recovered surveillance camera footage. That footage and cellphone records also showed Little was in the area of the residence just before shots were fired, according to testimony.
On the day of the robbery and shooting, Bland and Little were sitting in Little’s car in the parking lot waiting for Winters’ girlfriend to leave.
Bland, who had a gun and was wearing a stocking mask, went inside to rob Winters of drugs and money, according to testimony. Gooden, Winters’ girlfriend, came back and saw Winters struggling with a man but she couldn’t identify him because of the mask.
Rosa pulled Gooden and the children into the bathroom before the shots were fired. Gooden testified she tried to get Rosa to help Winters but he didn’t.
Police responded about 9:55 am to the report of a shooting and found Winters with multiple gunshot wounds. He died inside the apartment.
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