A West Scranton homicide suspect accused of fatally shooting a man during an armed robbery over a drug deal will face charges in Lackawanna County after more than a year and a half on the run, the Lackawanna County district attorney’s office announced Monday.
District Attorney Brian Gallagher announced the arrest of Malachi Darden, 21, following the shooting death of Benjamin Thompson, 36, on May 14, 2024, in West Scranton. Authorities arrested Darden, a New York native living in Wilkes-Barre at the time of the shooting, in Cortland, New York, on Dec. 1 as part of an investigation involving the Scranton Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and the Cortland Police Department, according to Gallagher.
Scranton police charged Darden with criminal homicide and criminal conspiracy. Two other men arrested in connection with the shooting, Quamir Robinson, 23, and Rahjuan Marquel Morgan, 25, each pleaded guilty June 3 to felony counts of criminal conspiracy engaging – robbery and criminal conspiracy engaging – aggravated assault, according to court dockets for the men.
Darden traveled to Scranton after arranging a deal with Thompson to buy marijuana, and while waiting for a location to meet, he conspired with Robinson and Morgan to rob Thompson of his drugs and money, according to the press release Monday from the district attorney’s office. When Thompson arrived, Darden shot him through the window of his car as Morgan stole the marijuana, the district attorney’s office said.
Malachi Darden (Courtesy of the U.S. Marshals Service)
Police arrested Morgan and Robinson, but Darden fled Pennsylvania the following morning and was wanted since, according to the news release. The U.S. Marshals Service offered up to a $2,500 reward in May for information leading to Darden’s arrest.
The shooting
Scranton police began their investigation around 11:43 p.m. on May 14, 2024, when officers responded to a report of a vehicle crashed into a parked car at 1820 Jackson St. and found Thompson unconscious and heavily bleeding in his Toyota RAV4 with a gunshot wound to his side that struck his heart, according to a criminal complaint for Darden. First responders rushed him to Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide, according to the complaint.
A witness told police that Thompson had left his house around 10 p.m. that night to sell marijuana to someone known as “Sha’s brother,” and after not hearing from Thompson, the witness, whom police did not identify, started texting Thompson with no response.
Officers found Thompson’s cellphone next to him, which they unlocked using a password from the witness, and discovered a text exchange between him and “Sha’s brother” that ended minutes before officers found Thompson bleeding out in his vehicle, according to the complaint. Police later identified “Sha’s brother” as Rahjuan Marquel Morgan.
During the exchange, which ended at 11:33 p.m., Morgan arranged to meet with Thompson around the 100 block of North Lincoln Avenue to purchase half a pound of marijuana for $700, but Darden, Morgan and Robinson had no money and no intention of paying Thompson for the drugs, according to police.
Surveillance footage captured the three men climbing over a fence in the 100 block of North Lincoln Avenue, shooting Thompson after he parked at a nearby business and then fleeing on foot as Thompson drove off before crashing a few blocks away, according to the complaint.
Police arrested Morgan on May 16, 2024, after determining he was “Sha’s brother” using cellular data and probation records. He “readily admitted his involvement in the homicide and robbery,” telling Scranton police he was with Darden and Robinson, and the three had discussed robbing Thompson for the marijuana when he arrived, according to the complaint. Darden also wanted to rob Thompson for his money because “he knew weed dealers would have cash,” according to police.
Morgan told officers he was supposed to distract Thompson while Darden committed the robbery and Robinson acted as the lookout. Morgan said he heard Darden rack a semi-automatic handgun while approaching the driver’s side, and Darden then shot Thompson from close range as Morgan grabbed the weed through the passenger’s window, according to the complaint.
When the men regrouped after the shooting, Darden told Morgan he “let one go” and shot at Thompson; Morgan told police he took some of the stolen marijuana, though Darden took the majority of it.
Two other witnesses corroborated details of the shooting to police, including telling officers that Darden had admitted to it, police said.
Court proceedings
Darden is currently in custody at the Cortland County Jail in New York pending extradition proceedings, according to the Lackawanna County district attorney’s office. A preliminary hearing for Darden will be scheduled once he is extradited to Pennsylvania, according to the announcement of his arrest.
Morgan and Robinson were scheduled to be sentenced by Lackawanna County Judge Michael J. Barrasse at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, but those hearings were continued Monday, according to court dockets. The two men remain at the Lackawanna County Prison.
Gallagher lauded the collaboration between law enforcement agencies leading to Darden’s arrest.
“We are fortunate to have strong working relationships with our neighboring agencies, like the Cortland Police Department, the United States Marshals Service and the Scranton Police Department,” he said in a statement Monday. “These relationships and unselfish collaboration make it possible to bring justice across jurisdictions and keeps our communities safe.”