2 Chicago men sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for carjacking Beverly family at gunpoint in 2023

Two Chicago men have been sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for carjacking a Chicago family at gunpoint in the backyard of their home in the Beverly neighborhood in 2023.

Kenneth Merritt, 29, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and weapons charges. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Sunil Harjani sentenced him to 14 ½ years in prison.

Damarri Conner, 23, also pleaded guilty earlier this year to the same charges. In April, Harjani also sentenced Connner to 14 ½ years in prison.

Federal prosecutors said, on Nov. 2, 2023, Conner and Merritt ran up to Michele Pettiford and her 12-year-old daughter after they had just pulled into their garage in the back of their Beverly home.

The carjackers punched Pettiford in the face, causing her to fall to the ground, stole her purse, and threatened to kill her and her daughter. Conner then pointed a gun at Pettiford's husband, Jeff, who had rushed outside to help his family and calm the situation by providing instructions to the carjackers on how to start the Audi. Both men took the Audi and drove off.    

The carjacking was recorded on the family's Ring surveillance camera.

Jeff Pettiford has said he will never forget the sounds his wife and daughter's terrified screams.

"Every parent, if they were to hear that, their instinct would be to run toward that," he said.

Their daughter ran inside their house, shut the door, and called police as one of the criminals ran after her.

"She ran upstairs, used her phone, dialed 911. By the time we came back in, she was on the phone with 911, she handed it to me," said Jeff Pettiford. "So I knew right away how courageous she was."

The suspects became increasingly angry looking for the keys to Michele's car, as she repeatedly cried out, "They're in my purse!"

The video shows Jeff trying to de-escalate the situation by telling the carjackers to take his car parked in the driveway with the keys inside. He even helped them start his car.

The two suspects eventually jumped into his car and drove off, leaving the terrified parents on the ground in their own backyard.

"I looked at how they treated my wife and daughter – a 12-year-old – and I know that they will hurt and kill people, and they're out there now doing the same thing," Jeff said.

On Nov. 14, Conner returned to the family's home, having stolen the Pettifords' other car, a Range Rover, during the carjacking, and stole the Range Rover from the front of the house.

Police were able to track the Range Rover to Conner's neighborhood. They found him hiding in the closet of a home, where he was arrested.