Mesquite man sentenced to life for killing Lewisville man after fender bender
Arrion Keonta Morris (Source: Denton County Jail)
LEWISVILLE, Texas - A Denton County jury has sentenced a Mesquite man to life in prison for the 2024 shooting death of a motorist following a minor traffic accident, prosecutors announced Monday.
Arrion Keonta Morris received the maximum sentence for the murder of Jonathon Michael Berto, 24. The sentencing follows a trial in which Morris pleaded guilty to the killing but rejected a 40-year plea deal, opting instead to have a jury determine his punishment.
Deadly shooting after minor traffic crash
The backstory:
The incident happened on June 9, 2024, in the 1200 block of South Stemmons Freeway. According to Lewisville police, what started as a routine fender-bender turned violent when Morris and Berto pulled into a parking lot to exchange insurance information.
Investigators say Morris shot Berto without warning and left the scene. Berto’s body was left in the parking lot for several hours before being discovered by a passerby who called 911.
According to police, Berto’s family arrived at the scene while officers were still securing the area, learning of his death as the investigation began.
Murder suspect killed man over minor fender bender, Lewisville police say
Police say Arrion Morris got out of his Tahoe with a gun in hand, looked at his front bumper, shook his head and then shot Jonathan Berto.
The Lewisville Police Department used surveillance footage to identify Morris as a suspect within 12 hours of the discovery. After a 30-hour surveillance operation, Morris was arrested with the help of the Mesquite Police Department.
Authorities said that a month after his arrest, Morris voluntarily confessed to the murder of Jonathon Berto, disposing of the murder weapon and trying to hide the vehicle involved in the initial accident.
Sentencing phase
What they're saying:
During the sentencing phase, the jury reviewed "overwhelming evidence" and heard testimony about the impact of the loss on the Berto family and the local community.
"This case stands as a testament to the strength of teamwork across patrol, investigations, and our regional partners," the Lewisville Police Department said in a statement. "We hope this outcome provides some measure of closure."
Morris will remain in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to serve his life term.
According to police, he was arrested for manslaughter back in 2002 in Mississippi.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Lewisville Police Department and previous FOX 4 News coverage.