Rachel King murder: 2 sentenced to life in Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru line murder of Pennsylvania mother
CHELTENHAM, Pa. - A gunman and co-conspirator charged in the murder of Philadelphia school teacher Rachel King, who was shot to death in a Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru line with her son in the car, were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.
Prosecutors say King, 35, was shot to death death in front of her 11-year-old son Jalen by 33-year-old Zakkee Steven Alhakim outside the Dunkin' Donuts in the Melrose Shopping Center in Cheltenham on Apr. 11, 2023.
Investigators believe Alhakim stalked King from her home at the Lynnewood Garden Apartments to the Dunkin' Donuts where he walked up to her car and fired several shots.
Prosecutors say Alhakim was hired by Julie Jean, 34, who prosecutors say had an affair with King's longtime boyfriend, William Hayes. When Hayes broke off his relationship with Jean, investigators say she harassed both Hayes and King, which prompted Hayes to obtain a Protection From Abuse Order against Jean.
It took less than an hour for a convict the pair accused in a murder-for-hire plot. They were not only found guilty but immediately sentenced to life in prison for murder.
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Jean, according to investigators, met Alhakim through the father of her three children and saved his number on her phone in mid-February. Investigators say the pair met multiple times leading up to the murder, and Alhakim saved photos of King on his phone and a map to her residence in Cheltenham.
Alhakim and Jean are said to have bought a Mercury Sable that was used in the murder from a dealership in Philadelphia just weeks prior. The Mercury was spotted by police in Philadelphia on the day of King's murder in connection to an unrelated deadly shooting in Philadelphia on Apr. 7.
Alhakim fled in the Mercury when police tried to stop him and crashed into a fence where he was taken into custody and later charged in the Philadelphia murder. Investigators later matched the fired shell casings from the Philadelphia homicide to the shells found after King's murder, and concluded the deadly shots were fired from a "ghost gun."
The family of Rachel King gave emotional witness impact statements before Jean, 35 and Alhakim, 34 were sentenced.
"Rachel was was just this rock for everybody in the in the in the family, and then to lose a mother by little Jalen and this was hard" said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele.
King was a well known teacher at Grover Cleveland Elementary in Tioga.
"This is the ultimate tragedy. Someone who is doing everything right in her life, and she was tragically killed because of vengeance." added Steele.
Neither defendant took the stand in their own defense.
Shaka Johnson the attorney representing Julie Jean says he has already started working on an appeal.
"The evidence just wasn’t there in my humble opinion as it relates to Miss Jean it wasn’t here and so we will continue to press onward" said Johnson.
After the sentencing, King's family went directly home to tell her 11-year-old son that the people responsible for his mom’s murder have been held accountable.
Rachel King's siblings speak out after verdict reached
Allen and Ahyana King, Rachel's brother and sister, visited Good Day Philadelphia Friday morning to remember their sister in the wake of the verdict.
"Rachel's absence is felt," Ahyana said. "She was light and life and joy. A fierce advocate, kind and good and just true. You knew when Rachel was in the room."
Allen and Ahyana went on to describe the ‘little things’ and small interactions with their sister they've begun to miss as the one year anniversary of her death approaches.
They also spoke to how Rachel's son is doing since that day and how he remembers his mother.
"He's adjusted better than probably better than us," Allen said.
"I don't know that I would say he talks about the day as much as he does still talk about her," Ahyana said. "He still very much talks about her. Every now and again he may talk about that day."
Rachel's family says they feel justice was served with Thursday's verdict.
"I think that more than anything, no one should ever have to worry about those two individuals causing any more harm," Ayhana explained.
She added that when her family explained to Jalen that the sentencing meant, he smiled and said ‘I feel better,’