MARION COUNTY, IL — A 28-year-old Centralia woman is the second of 5 defendants to be convicted and sentenced in the December 2019 murder case of an East St. Louis man in a Central City home. Darleedria “Bubbles” Flippen was sentenced to 6-years in prison after she filed an open plea of guilt Tuesday in Marion County to a Class 2 felony charge of robbery. In exchange for the plea, a first-degree murder charge and a Class X felony charge of armed robbery were dismissed.
Flippen was charged in connection with the December 3rd shooting death of 39-year-old Clendar Edmond. She was arrested along with 27-year-old Mantez Duncan, who was recently sentenced to 55-years in prison for his role in Edmund’s murder. Flippen was given credit for 300 days served in the Marion County Jail since her arrest.
Three others, 53-year-old Cardell Thomas, 30-year-old Krystal Scerba, and 28-year-old Blake Shahan are charged with first-degree murder in connection with Edmond’s murder.
Court records show Flippen was given a black bag with a large amount of cash taken from Edmond the night of his murder at Thomas’ Green Street home. Edmond was then allegedly taken at gunpoint into the garage where a blue tarp had been spread out on the floor. As he begged for his life, Edmond was asked for the location of other cash. He reportedly gave Duncan a location and that information was then given to Flippen who was told to find the money. When she was apparently unsuccessful in locating the cash, Duncan allegedly shot Edmond multiple times. Duncan and Shahan then reportedly rolled Edmond’s body up in the tarp, loaded it into the back of Thomas’ truck and took the body out to the woods where it was covered with brush and gasoline and set on fire.