SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A Texas man who lured men from a dating app before robbing and killing them has been sentenced to decades in prison after investigators tied him to the crimes through forensic evidence, including fingerprints found on condom wrappers at the scenes, prosecutors said.
Jer Auntey Pleasant, 25, was found guilty of two counts of murder and aggravated robbery in Bexar County and received four 50-year prison sentences that will run concurrently, according to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities said Pleasant targeted men using the popular dating app Grindr, arranging meetups before attacking the victims. Prosecutors said the first killing occurred in March 2022 when Pleasant met a man through the app and later shot and killed him during an attempted robbery.
Investigators said two additional killings occurred on consecutive days in April 2023 under similar circumstances. Pleasant allegedly used the name “Derek” on the app to contact victims and arrange meetings at an apartment complex before carrying out the attacks.
The cases were eventually linked through forensic evidence collected at the crime scenes. Officials said fingerprints matching Pleasant were found on condom wrappers, and ballistic testing determined that the same firearm had been used in multiple shootings. The evidence helped detectives connect the incidents and identify Pleasant as a suspect.
Pleasant was also accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old in a separate case in July 2022, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the pattern of luring victims through a dating app before robbing and killing them demonstrated a calculated scheme that ultimately unraveled through forensic evidence left behind at the scenes. Pleasant will serve his sentences in Texas state prison.
