On the morning of April 21, an Allentown, Pennsylvania police dispatcher received a 9-1-1 call reporting shots fired near Martin Luther King Boulevard. When officers arrived on the scene, they found the body of 26-year-old Jean Armand Nerette, aka J-Dott Com, sprawled out on the ground next to his black sedan. Nerette was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at the scene by Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim.
After securing the immediate area, investigators collected evidence at the scene and took Nerette's vehicle into custody for processing. An autopsy conducted later that day showed Nerette had died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
With Nerette's death ruled a homicide, his friends and family members were left shocked and grief-stricken.
"Jean was more than just a friend to anyone. He was the type of person that could just hang out and be comfortable with anyone, at anywhere," reads a message left by one of Nerette's friends on his MySpace profile. "His talents were absolutely amazing ... you almost want to say you're at a loss for words, but with Jean there's no way you can be at a loss for words. There's just way too much to say about him on his behalf. You look deep down for the words, you know what you want to say, but its like you can't."
There is no doubt among Nerette's friends that he was well on the road to success. He was one of five hip-hop artists working with the record label Mogul Enternational and he was recently hired as a Music Manager for DIPstick Magazine. Nerette was also scheduled to perform as a featured artist at the 2008 Objects of Desire Show Tour. According to the official tour Web Site, the annual show consists of a "series of expo's catering to a lifestyle of fashion, technology, entertainment and highly modified cars."
On Monday night, over two-dozen people gathered at the crime scene to remember Nerette. Some carried candles, while others exchanged photos and stories about their beloved friend.
"He was an awesome guy. You could never say anything bad about him. He was great -- the life of the party," Danielle Flowers, a former classmate of Nerette's, told NJ.com. "He had so many friends. He was so nice. He didn't really have problems with anybody."
According to Allentown Assistant police Chief Ronald Manescu, the investigation is ongoing. Manescu has not commented on a possible motive and he has yet to announce if there are any suspect in the fatal shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Allentown Police Department at 610-437-7721 or the tip line at 610-439-5911.
Comment on this article
