Second man charged with murder in Lantana slaying

Authorities brought murder charges against a second man on Wednesday for the slaying of a Lantana man in March.

Rakim Bryant, 19, who has been in jail since March for unrelated charges, is now facing charges of robbery and felon in possession of a firearm, in addition to first-degree murder.

Bryant has been in jail since he was arrested by Boynton Beach Police in connection with a March 9 shooting incident just days after 22-year-old Valley Alexandre was slain in Lantana during a drug deal gone bad on March 16.

In April, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office arrested 17-year-old Jimmy “Boo Boo” Clemons Jr., of Boynton Beach, for first-degree murder in Alexandre’s death. Clemons has been charged as an adult.

During the investigation, detectives began looking into whether Bryant was with Clemons when Alexandre was killed, after witnesses placed Bryant at a party with Clemons the night of the slaying.

The day after Alexandre was murdered, Clemons’ aunt and mother — Janice Rahming, 54, and Daphne Clemons, 41 — were murdered as they sat on a living room couch exchanging beauty tips in Boynton Beach. Law enforcement sources told The Palm Beach Post the killings of the sisters were likely in retaliation Alexandre’s shooting.

A witness who placed both teens at the Lantana party on March 16 told detectives that Clemons wanted to rob Alexandre because he believed Alexandre had a large amount of drugs. Later that night, Alexandre was shot in his car by two men, who were identified as Clemons and Bryant by a witness who managed to jump out of the car seconds before Alexandre was killed, according to the arrest report.

Further, Clemons’ DNA was found in Alexandre’s front pocket. A witness told detectives Clemons and Bryant went through Alexandre’s pockets before running from the murder scene.