Man Indicted in Shooting of Twin Brothers

May 21, 2020 – A Memphis man has been indicted in the shooting death of one man and the wounding of his twin brother following an early-morning argument last November in Frayser, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury this week indicted Michael A. Crawford, 24, on charges of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted first degree murder, and three counts of employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

Crawford is accused of killing Darvis Gates and and wounding Jarvis Gates in the incident that occurred shortly after 5 a.m. last Nov. 24 in the 1700 block of Martha Drive. Both men were unarmed and were shot multiple times.

Investigators said Crawford got into an argument with the 24-year-old brothers and came out of a house with a gun with a gun. Darvis Gates was found dead near a driveway and his brother was found in the nearby yard.

Two bystanders were endangered by the gunfire, but were not hit.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Stephanie Johnson of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 2 which handles cases in General Sessions Division 9 and Criminal Court Division 2.

Pair Indicted in White Station Grad’s Murder

May 21, 2020 – Two teenagers accused of setting up a former White Station High School football player to be robbed last summer have been indicted on first-degree murder charges, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Amy Weirich.

Talas Bonds and Erin Tillman, both 19, were indicted this week on charges of first-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery.

The victim was 18-year-old Jack Luibel who was lured to a home last Sept. 2 in the 2200 block of Clifton in Frayser where he thought he was meeting a woman who contacted him on an online dating app. The message was actually sent by the defendants, police said.

Bonds was arrested two weeks later. Tillman turned himself in shortly after that.

The two defendants were indicted in February for a series of aggravated robberies during the same time period last summer, including two involving pizza delivery drivers, including one on Sept. 20 who was delivering an order to the same house on Clifton where Luibel was killed.

Another involved a victim who was robbed at gunpoint when on Sept. 1 at a house in the 3000 block of Boone where he thought he was meeting with a woman he met on a dating app.

The cases are being handled by Senior Felony Asst. Bryce Phillips of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 5 which handles cases in General Sessions Division 13 and in Criminal Court Division 9.

Overdose Spike Draws Official Response

May 19, 2020 – An unprecedented spike in drug overdoses, both fatal and non- fatal, in the past three months has led to more deaths in Shelby County than those caused by the Covid-19 virus, Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich said Tuesday.

Since March 15, there have been more than 750 drug overdoses resulting in 112 deaths, most of which have been related to opioid use. In just the last 30 days, there have been more than 400 overdoses, including 66 deaths, according to the Shelby County Health Department.

“Our friends and family members are overdosing and dying at a record pace,” DA Weirich said. “We can reverse this trend through reducing demand and removing suppliers from society. As prosecutors, we will continue our focus on bringing these death dealers to justice. We need the community’s help in raising awareness about the seriousness of the problem and the dangers of these drugs. A dose the size of Abraham Lincoln’s nose on a penny is enough to kill you.”

This is “a pandemic within a pandemic,” said Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.

They joined Shelby Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter in a virtual press conference Tuesday from the Main Library on Poplar where they announced an upcoming five-day event in which the Street Team for Overdose Prevention (S.T.O.P.) will provide street-level outreach at locations around Shelby County which will include free overdose-reversal kits, including Naloxone (Narcan), treatment resources at the following locations, dates and times: 

Today until 8 p.m. at 3360 N. Watkins, at 2760 S. Perkins Road, and at 3362 S. Third;

Wednesday at 1590 Sycamore View Road from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; at 28 N. Claybrook from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and at 3628 Summer from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.;

Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 3360 N. Watkins; at 2760 S. Perkins Road; and at 3362 S. Third;

Friday at 1590 Sycamore View from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; at 28 N. Claybrook from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and at 3628 Summer from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.;

Saturday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 1590 Sycamore View; at 28 N. Claybrook; at 3628 Summer; at 3360 N. Watkins; at 2760 S. Perkins; and at 3362 S. Third.

All locations will provide overdose-reversal kits and treatment resources, but needle exchange services will be available at Sycamore View, Claybrook, and Summer Avenue locations only.

Courts Remain Limited, But Grand Jury Sessions May Resume Next Week

May 13, 2020 – While criminal cases involving out-of-custody defendants will not be heard before June 1, Shelby County grand juries could begin meeting again as early as next week, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has sharply limited courtroom activity across the state for the past two months, citing health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus (COVID-1) pandemic.

In-custody cases have been given top priority in General Sessions and Criminal Courts, while cases with out-of-custody defendants are being reset. There also have been no jury trials under the restrictions that will remain in place for at least another two weeks.

The three Shelby County grand juries have been idle as well, missing 25 sessions since March. The grand juries normally meet on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and DA Weirich said plans are in place for that schedule to resume next week.

She said citizens will be seated for each grand jury on Monday May 18, and cases will be heard starting the next day with social distancing and other health precautions in place. Prospective jurors are encouraged to bring face masks as well.

Witnesses will appear electronically rather than in-person. DA Weirich said cases presented to the grand jury will be the most serious felonies and will involve defendants who have been in jail the longest.

Mike Boyle is Finally on His Own Schedule

May 7, 2020 – Mike Boyle, who recently retired after nearly 38 years in the District Attorney’s Office, started his career as a City Court prosecutor handling DUI cases in the old Memphis Police Building.

He was young and inexperienced, had no investigator and usually was the only prosecutor in the courtroom. It was trial by fire, and literally in at least one case.

“During one DUI trial there was a fire in the building in the middle of the case,” Boyle recalls. “We had to evacuate the building while they put out the fire. Then we went back in the building and resumed the trial.”

Boyle, whose last day was May 1, can now visit his daughters in Tampa, Phoenix and Memphis, and his son in Knoxville whenever he wants since, as he notes, he’s finally on his own schedule for the first time since starting school as a youngster.

“It’s been a privilege and honor to represent the people of Shelby County for these 37-plus years,” says Boyle. “I will always be proud to tell people where I worked.”

His title was Administrative Assistant/Expungements, but he did much more.

“Mike not only accomplished great things -- but it also was the way he made decisions and solved problems that drew people to him,” said Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich. “His contribution reached far beyond our office. Judges, defense attorneys, clerks, law enforcement all relied on him when issues arose. ‘Call Mr. Boyle,’ was an often-heard phrase in the courts and offices here. People knew he would get the job done and would do so based on what was fair and just for all involved.”

Boyle grew up in Hendersonville, near Nashville, and attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville where he majored in psychology, with a minor in philosophy. He then got his law degree at the University of Memphis. He really hadn’t thought of becoming a prosecutor.

“Back then, the TV shows were about defense attorneys, and nothing approached from the side of the prosecution,” he recalls. “Even in law school, the one class we had on criminal law was approached from the defense standpoint.”

When he finished school, a contact in the City Attorney’s Office helped jumpstart his career as a prosecutor.

“It was a judge who actually hired me when Memphis got a federal grant to handle all the DUI cases in the city,” Boyle says with a laugh. “It wasn’t my plan from the beginning to be a prosecutor, but it’s just how it wound up and it’s been a great career.”

Several years later, about the time the Criminal Justice Center opened at 201 Poplar, he moved to the District Attorney’s Office which became home for the next 38 years. (Boyle began his final office email with “Greetings from Survivor Island – Basement Edition.”)

Boyle has worked for four DA’s, also including Hugh Stanton, John Pierotti and Bill Gibbons. His experience and even-tempered demeanor made him a logical choice for a promotion to supervisor under Pierotti.

“I suppose my psychology degree helped in knowing how to work with people and, as a supervisor, to see the other side of something,” he says. “I was able to get along with most people, even defense attorneys on the other side of a case. In trial you get a little competitive and judges on occasion have told me to direct my comments to the court instead of arguing directly with the defense attorney.”

Boyle recalls a group of protestors who were charged with obstructing a roadway at a refinery whose misdemeanor cases involved numerous settings and media attention. “I finally told one defense attorney that if they’re real protestors they can plead guilty and get a merit badge,” he says. “It could say ‘I was prosecuted for protesting.’”

Boyle has seen many changes in the criminal justice system in his four decades, including ballooning caseloads with more gangs and violent crime, but there’s been a change on the other end of that spectrum as well.

"What stands out about my career at this point is the work I did on expungements the last few years,” he says. “Our office assisted almost 1,000 people in getting relatively minor charges expunged. I talked to all of them directly – they don’t need an attorney – and I really got to appreciate how important that was to a lot of people. They were able to get a job or get a better job. That’s a little different role for a prosecutor. I’d tell some of our prosecutors ‘You’re prosecuting and I’m expunging.’”

Boyle also is encouraged by the team of prosecutors he is leaving at 201.

“I think the biggest change from 40 years ago is the number of young people who come to our office as interns, with no pay, and sometimes even a couple years,” he says. “Their interest, dedication and enthusiasm for doing the good work that they do is really impressive. For a lot of them it’s public service and that’s why they go to law school. They’re going to be the lifeblood of the office.

“They have a heavy workload and it’s important work, but I tell them that whenever possible, have fun. Almost every day there’s a case with unusual facts or something unexpected happens in court. Like in a hospital, bad things may happen, but there still are things you can smile about. After all, you’re dealing with human beings, not widgets.”     

DA’s to Review More Than 180 Cold-Case Homicide Files in Corona Slowdown

May 1, 2020 – Prosecutors whose workloads have been slowed by COVID-19 state guidelines will begin reviewing cold-case homicide files in hopes of identifying and bringing some killers to justice, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

On Friday, dozens of Assistant District Attorneys – practicing social distancing – drove by the Criminal Justice Center on the Washington Avenue side to pick up the first batch of 92 files to work on at home.

Next week 92 more homicide files will be distributed to the prosecutors.

“Our ADA’s normally touch more than 15,000 cases each month, but that number has dropped sharply since we’re only handling cases with in-custody defendants, as directed by the Tennessee Supreme Court,” said DA Weirich. “This is a rare opportunity for our team to review these files and look for names, small details and any other information that might lead to solving the case.”

Cases distributed Friday are police investigation files that range mostly from 2013 to 2017. New leads or follow-up questioning suggested by prosecutors will be handled by members of the DA’s Criminal Investigation Division.

Paul Hagerman, Chief Prosecutor of the DA’s Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit, said more details about the cases will be made public next week as prosecutors comb through the files for details.

Gov. Lee Offers Rewards in Homicides of Three Shelby County Children

April 28, 2020 – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is offering a total of $20,000 in rewards for information in two drive-by shootings in January that claimed the lives of three Shelby County children, Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich said Tuesday.

The rewards involve the death of 10-year-old Jadon Knox on Jan. 19 in Orange Mound and the deaths of Ashlyn Luckett, 6, and Lequan Boyd, 16, the following day in Hickory Hill.

“I am grateful to Gov. Lee for issuing rewards in these tragic and senseless murders,” said DA Weirich. “Someone knows something, someone saw something. Please come forward and help us find justice for these innocent children and their families.”

Police said Jadon Knox was shot shortly after 6 p.m. on Sunday Jan. 19 on Josephine Street near Carnes Avenue, possibly by a man in a white Nissan Altima or Infiniti with a black bumper.

Ashlynn Luckett and her uncle, Lequan Boyd, were shot in a drive-by the following night while inside a home in the 6800 block of Kirby Mills Cove.

Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH (2274).

201 Poplar COVID-19 Update

March 16, 2020 – In light of the health and safety concerns surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the criminal justice system at 201 Poplar will be functioning much differently over the next few weeks, Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich said Monday.

Major changes will include:

*Out-of-custody defendants with cases in General Sessions and/or Criminal Court will have their cases reset automatically to the corresponding day of the week of April 20, 2020, through May 5, 2020. You do not need to appear at 201 Poplar. Here is the updated schedule.  

*In-custody cases are top priority and will be handled as usual.

*There will be no jury trials until further notice.

*The Shelby County Grand Jury will not meet until further notice.

*If you are a victim or a witness subpoenaed by the DA’s office, someone from the DA’s office will contact you. If you have not been contacted within a day of your ordered appearance, please call 901-222-1300 and ask for the Victim Witness Unit.

Other important numbers to keep:

General Sessions Criminal Court Clerk – 901-222-3500 

Criminal Court Clerk – 901-222-3200