Monterey, CA…Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced today that yesterday, the Honorable Mark E. Hood sentenced Jerry Sanks, age 31 of Salinas, to 26 years and 4 months in state prison and Lenny Sanks, his brother – age 34 of Salinas, to 12 years 8 months in state prison. Jerry and Lenny Sanks had previously pleaded guilty to the 2016 Chinatown killing of Kareem Jamal King, who was 23 years old at the time of his death.

Jerry Sanks shot Kareem King to death on the corner of Bridge Alley and East Lake Street in the Chinatown area of Salinas on the afternoon of September 16, 2016. Lenny Sanks arranged for the ride to the location of the killing. Jerry and Lenny Sanks erroneously believed that Kareem King was responsible for shooting their friend Marcus Jelks on Labor Day, eleven days earlier. Medical staff pronounced Marcus Jelks dead at Natividad Medical Center at approximately 11:33AM on the same day that Jerry Sanks shot Kareem King to death.

The case went cold due in large measure to a pervasive “no-snitching” culture and fear of retaliation by eyewitnesses to the crime. In 2018, Detective Robert Miller of the Salinas Police Department reopened the case by pursuing investigative leads and interviewing witnesses. His perseverance convinced reluctant witnesses to reveal the truth.
Jerry Sanks was arrested on September 18, 2018, after surrendering himself and publicly proclaiming his innocence. Lenny Sanks was arrested on February 15, 2019, after additional investigation and evidence revealed his involvement in the killing of Kareem King.

Judge Hood also sentenced Jerry Sanks for a felony assault of another inmate in the Monterey County Jail on January 6, 2019.

Judge Hood sentenced Lenny Sanks on another felony; for his role in fraudulently obtaining California Employment Development Department (EDD) benefits, while he was in custody in the Monterey County Jail. These benefits were intended to provide financial relief to people who suffered economic hardship due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The case was investigated by Detective Robert Miller and Detective Kenneth Hendrickson (now with the Santa Clara Police Department) of the Salinas Police Department, as well as Monterey County District Attorney Investigators (DAIs) Peter Austen, Jorge Gutierrez (now with the Greenfield Police Department), Damon Williams, and John Magana. Detective Robert Miller and DAI Peter Austen invested significant time and energy in pursuing justice for Kareem King.

Deputy Marco Jauregui of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office investigated the jail assault.
The EDD fraud case was investigated by Detective Heather Murphy of the California State Monterey Bay Police Department, Commander Kathy Palazzolo of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, and DAI George Costa of the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.

The homicide of Marcus Jelks remains unsolved. If anyone has any information about his homicide, please call Detective Robert Miller of the Salinas Police Department at (831) 758-7954 or email him at robertm@ci.salinas.ca.us.