Dietrich Canterberry, 34, and Cordell Shields, 35, have each been charged with one count of murder in the death of 29-year-old Devion Jelkes, according to a release from the L.A. County District Attorney's office. Jelkes was beaten to death on October 30 at about 2:30 a.m. as he was leaving a Halloween party at Couture Nightclub in Hollywood.
According to a release from the LAPD, two women got into an argument outside of the club, which escalated when others got involved. Shields is accused of punching Jelkes' sister, Laporscha Marks, as she tried to get into a car. Both men then turned on Jelkes as he ran to his sister's aid, punching and kicking him several times. After the attack, Shields ran away on foot while Canterberry climbed aboard a party bus.
"I looked up and I [saw] a dude just drop, drop to the floor, hit his head on the ground and he was unconscious," a witness told CBS Los Angeles.
Jelkes was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Police believe he suffered blunt force trauma after hitting his head on the curb during the assault.
Canterberry was a member of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' football team in 1999, according to ABC 13. Listed at 6'4" and over 300 pounds, Canterberry was a three-year starter and had been voted by teammates to serve as one of two team captains in 2003.
Randy Black II, one of Caterberry's former teammates, expressed shock at the allegations. "Knowing that he was really like a big teddy bear, it doesn't make sense how this would've happened," Black said.
