Final suspect arrested in shooting death of rapper in Pizza Hut parking lot

A little over a year after rapper Branden Denson was fatally shot in the parking lot at Pizza Hut on Buena Vista Road, Columbus police have arrested the fifth and final murder suspect.

Police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, arrested Tyree Jaquan Smith, 21, in connection with the April 6, 2018 death of Denson, Police Lt. Greg Touchberry said Tuesday in a release.

Smith will be extradited to Columbus where a preliminary hearing will be scheduled, Touchberry said.

Smith is charged in the shooting along with Tommie Jamal Mullins, Dover Bartlett Coppins, Eric Randall Spencer and Johnathon Lemorris Swift.

Police have previously said Mullins planned to rob Denson of about 16 pounds of marijuana that Denson possessed. 

Police were called on April 6, 2018 around 10:28 p.m. to the Pizza Hut parking lot to check on a person shot.

They found Denson, also known as “Billion Dollar BD,” shot three times in the back while sitting in the driver’s seat of his black Jeep Wrangler. Police said a suitcase with 15 to 16 pounds of packaged marijuana has never been found.

Ledger-Enquirer archives were used in this report.

This story was originally published April 16, 2019 at 11:02 AM.