A Texas court has handed down lengthy prison sentences to a man convicted of orchestrating a deadly scheme that involved using a dating app to lure victims before killing them.
Jer Auntey Pleasant, 25, was sentenced Friday to four separate 50-year prison terms for the murders of Larry Wilson, 54, and Joseph West, 22. The sentences also cover convictions for aggravated robbery and aggravated sexual assault of a child. According to the Bexar County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, all of the sentences will run concurrently.
Prosecutors said the violent series of crimes unfolded over more than a year and involved the use of the popular social networking app Grindr to connect with victims.
Investigators said the pattern began in March 2022, when Pleasant met one of his victims through the platform. Authorities said the meeting ended in violence when the defendant attempted to rob the man and opened fire.
Officials said the case also included a separate incident months later involving a minor. In July 2022, Pleasant sexually assaulted a 13-year-old child, prosecutors said, with DNA evidence later identifying him as the suspect.
Authorities believe the same criminal approach carried into the following year. Prosecutors described the killings of Wilson and West in April 2023 as closely connected events that occurred just one day apart.
“On two consecutive days in April 2023, Pleasant committed two separate murders,” the DA’s office said.
Investigators said Pleasant used the name “Derek” while communicating on the dating app and arranged to meet Wilson at the Banyan Tree Apartments in San Antonio.
The meeting took place on April 14, 2023. Authorities said Wilson was fatally shot during that encounter.
The next day brought another discovery. West was found dead inside his apartment on April 15 after suffering a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
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“The following day, April 15, West was discovered in his apartment with a fatal gunshot wound to the head,” the DA’s office said. “Key evidence, including fingerprints matching Pleasant were found at both crime scenes, with ballistics confirming that the same firearm was used, allowing local authorities to quickly connect and solve both cases.”
According to reporting by local outlets, forensic investigators recovered a crucial piece of evidence at each crime scene: Pleasant’s fingerprints on discarded condom wrappers.
Family members of one victim previously voiced concerns about the dangers associated with meeting strangers through online platforms.
“I feel in my heart he was set up,” Larry Wilson’s brother, Johnny Wilson, told local KENS the month of the murders. “Them dating apps nowadays. You’ve got to watch out. It can be setups.”
The convictions close a disturbing criminal case that prosecutors say involved calculated targeting, digital communication, and forensic evidence that ultimately tied the crimes together.
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