Bartlett Family Indicted in Boy’s Death

June 15, 2021 – Eight adult relatives living in a community-home arrangement in Bartlett with 10 children have been indicted on first-degree felony murder charges related to the starvation death of one of the children last year, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

The adults, including a mother, her son and her six daughters, were indicted on counts of murder in the perpetration of aggravated child abuse and neglect in the death of a 14-year-old boy.

After her indictment last week, prosecutors learned that the mother, 60-year-old Yvette Charleston, passed away on May 13, prompting the dismissal of her charges.  

The others are being held on $250,000 bond each.

Additional felony counts of aggravated child abuse and neglect also were returned in the case of a 12-year-old girl in the home who was malnourished and had patterned bruising on her body.

On the morning of Jan. 7, 2020, Bartlett Police were called to a residence in the 3500 block of Skylight Drive where they found the victim, Brandon Gray, unresponsive on the floor in the living room where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy showed the boy weighed just 60 pounds and died of starvation. Investigators said his younger sister was taken to a hospital where doctors said she was suffering from moderate malnutrition and had bruises and scars on her body.

Those indicted include the victims’ mother, Terra Wells, 36; their aunts, Tessa Dishmon, 30; Tamera Dishmon, 35; Amanda Dishmon, 30; Tabitha Sharp, 26, and Breanna Wells, 22. Also indicted was Melvin Wells, 32, the victims’ uncle.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen and Asst. Dist. Atty. Alyssa Hennig of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit which prosecutes cases of rape, aggravated rape, child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse of child victims, elder abuse and abuse of vulnerable adults.

The SVU was created as an expansion of the multi-agency Child Protection Investigative Team or CPIT.

Apartment Neighbor Indicted Man’s Death

June 14, 2021 – A Frayser-area man has been indicted on second-degree and other felony charges related to the death of an apartment neighbor last year whose decomposed body was found beneath a pile of clothes in a bedroom closet, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted 62-year-old James Trigg on additional charges of tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. He is being held on $100,000 bond.

On April 14, 2020, police were called to an apartment in the 2900 block of Northill Cove where they discovered the body of 55-year-old resident Oliver Shanks in a bedroom closet. He had been stabbed multiple times.

Investigators said surveillance video showed Trigg entering the apartment with the victim the night of March 30, 2020, and then leaving alone early the following morning. The video also showed Trigg entering and leaving the apartment several more times before the body was discovered two weeks later.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Abby Wallace of the District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit in Criminal Court Division 8. The SPU seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.

Caretaker Indicted in Vulnerable Woman’s Beating Death

June 14, 2021 – A caretaker at a non-licensed home for elderly and vulnerable adults has been indicted on first-degree murder and other felony charges involving a woman who was found dead in her metal-frame hospital bed, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Anthony Freeman, 53, also was indicted on counts of aggravated abuse, neglect of a vulnerable adult and tampering with evidence. He is being held on $150,000 bond.

On June 19, 2020, police were called to the residence in the 900 block of Hunters Point in Cordova where found 59-year-old Cynthia Garrison dead with blunt force injuries and cuts on her body.

Officers located and viewed a video-recording system that showed in the hours before her death, the victim fell out of bed and then for more than two hours was beaten with a board by Freeman.

She was left on the floor while Freeman sat in a nearby chair. He eventually got her back into the bed and was shown on the video cleaning up the area where he had beaten the victim.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen and Asst. Dist. Atty. Devon Dennis of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit which prosecutes cases involving rape, child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse of child victims, elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults.

Father Indicted in Baby’s Beating Death

June 11, 2021 – A Frayser man who was suspected of injuring his baby son in 2019 was indicted Thursday in a beating a year later that resulted in the child’s death, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted 36-year-old Antonio First on charges of first-degree murder in the perpetration of aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect. He is being held on $150,000 bond.

Investigators said that in April of 2019 the boy, Brayton Brooks, then 14 months old, was brought to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in critical condition with a bruised forehead sustained while in his father’s care.

First was not charged, but was not to have custody by an order of the court.

On June 24, 2020, he called 911 from a residence in the 3600 block of North Trezevant and said the boy was not breathing. Brayton, then 28 months old, was taken to the hospital where he died from multiple injuries that included fractures on both sides of the skull, ligature marks around his neck, and major bruising on his entire body. His stomach was filled with blood.

The case is being handled by Felony Asst. Paige Munn and Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit (SVU) which prosecutes cases involving rape, child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse of child victims, elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults.

The SVU was created in 2010 as an expansion of the multi-agency Child Protection Investigative Team (CPIT).   

Man Convicted in Strangulation Death of Friend

June 10, 2021 – A 39-year-old man was convicted Thursday of voluntary manslaughter in the 2019 death of a friend who was found strangled with a string of Christmas lights, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury convicted defendant Hans Banks after a trial that began Monday. He remains in jail and will be sentenced later by Judge James Lammey Jr.

According to testimony, on July 7, 2019, Banks and victim Joseph Hurdle, 59, got into an altercation at their apartment on East Cabana Circle near University Street and Vollintine Avenue.

Banks said that during the incident, he struck Hurdle with an ashtray and then strangled him with a string of Christmas tree lights.

The case was handled by Chief Prosecutor Greg Gilbert and Asst. Dist. Atty. Michael Haas of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Unit which handles cases of domestic assault and homicide committed by intimate partners.

This was the first jury trial to be held in Shelby County in more than a year because of restrictions invoked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Motorist Indicted in Millington Couple’s Deaths

June 10, 2021 – A Munford man has been indicted on two counts of vehicular homicide involving intoxication and recklessness in a crash last year that claimed the lives of a Millington couple, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury also indicted defendant Ethan Wells, 21, with leaving the scene of an accident, driving under the influence, and reckless driving. He is being held on a bond of $1 million.

Investigators with the Millington Police Department and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said that on Oct. 1, 2020, Wells was driving a pickup truck at a high rate of speed southbound on U.S. Highway 51 at Wilkinsville Road in Millington.

His vehicle crashed into the rear of an SUV, causing the vehicle’s fuel tank to explode. The occupants of the SUV, Thomas Perry, 62, and wife Karen Perry, 61, were killed.

After the crash, investigators said Wells disrobed and tried to run from the scene, but was captured by law enforcement officers after a short chase.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Vanessa Murtaugh of the District Attorney’s DUI Unit which seeks to reduce the number of DUI-related fatalities and injuries. Members of the Unit also conduct training sessions to keep law enforcement officers updated on new laws and changes to existing laws related to the operation of motor vehicles.

Woman Indicted in Animal Abuse Case

June 9, 2021 – A Cordova woman has been indicted on multiple counts of felony animal abuse stemming from the 2019 discovery of numerous unhealthy cats living in unsanitary conditions in her home, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury this week indicted 74-year-old Charlotte Creasy on eight counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and 24 counts of cruelty to animals. She remains free on $20,000 bond.

On March 28, 2019, Memphis Animal Services responded to a complaint at her home in the 700 block of Carin Creek and found a dead cat, and 16 live cats and one dog living in “deplorable conditions” with feces and urine covering the floors throughout the house. Eight more cats were found in an outdoor shed.

Officers said the animals were suffering from eye and skin infections, as well as respiratory problems. The animals in the outside shed had no heating, cooling or ventilation, and the shed had had a strong stench of urine.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Abby Wallace.  

News Conference Tuesday for 4th Unity Walk

June 7, 2021 – A news conference will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Hamilton High School to announce the fourth Unity Walk Against Gun Violence scheduled for Saturday, June 12, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

The news conference is to be held outside the entrance to the gym (to the left of the Main Entrance), but will be moved inside in the event of rain.

Scheduled to speak at Tuesday’s news conference are Shelby County Schools Supt. Dr. Joris Ray; Memphis Police Department Deputy Director Mike Ryall; Stevie Moore, President and Founder of Freedom From Unnecessary Negatives (F.F.U.N.); E. Winslow ‘Buddy’ Chapman, Executive Director of CrimeStoppers of Memphis and Shelby County; Dr. Peter E. Fischer, Medical Director of the Regional One Health Elvis Presley Trauma Center (The Med), and Dist. Atty. Weirich.

A student from East High School also will speak on gun violence.

Saturday’s 1.8-mile walk will begin and end at Hamilton at 1362 E. Person Ave.  Masks and social distancing are required for anyone not vaccinated. Participants sign in upon arrival. The walk begins at 10 a.m. Assemble at 9:30 a.m.

More than 1,000 people have participated in previous walks held in the Medical Center last November, in Whitehaven in February and in Frayser in April.

The Unity Walk concept was developed last year by Stevie Moore and Bill Gibbons, President of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.

The walks are sponsored by The Pledge to Protect 901, a collective of interested individuals, activists, education and health care leaders, government agencies, and grassroots and nonprofit organizations working to end gun and community violence.

Each walk begins with the group pledge:

See something. Say something. Your call counts.

Know where your kids are. Know your neighbors.

Join or start a Neighborhood Watch Group in your neighborhood.

Respect yourself and those around you. Violence is never the solution!

Suspect Pleads Guilty in Fatal Attack On Security Guard

June 7, 2021 – A 28-year-old Memphis man pled guilty Monday in the 2013 shooting and slashing murder of a security guard at a North Memphis salvage yard, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Brent Gomez pled guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison by Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan. Gomez pled guilty just as a jury was to be picked for his trial.

The murder occurred in the nighttime and early-morning hours of Oct. 12-13, 2013 at the salvage yard in the 1500 block of Chelsea where the victim, Jose Alberto Vilchis Villareal, 39, was a security guard and lived on the property.

An investigation showed that Gomez and codefendant, Candelario del Angel, 43, who were acquaintances of the victim, got into an altercation with him, striking Villareal in the face and head with the butt of a shotgun.

The pair left, but then returned a short time later to remove a security camera and surveillance system that may have recorded the attack. Before leaving the scrapyard, Gomez struck Villareal several times in the neck and face with a machete. At instructions from Gomez, del Angel then shot Villareal in the head, and the pair left the scene.

Gomez and del Angel were developed as suspects and gave statements of admission, though each described the other as the leader of the attack. The case against del Angel is pending.

The lengthy case involved two defendants, the collection of background information from their native country of Mexico, numerous procedural hearings, and coordinating the efforts of other agencies.

The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Leslie Byrd and Chief Prosecutor Stephanie Johnson of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 2.

Clerk Indicted in Death of Banned Visitor

June 5, 2021 – A night clerk at a convenience store near Arlington was indicted Thursday on a count of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Cordova man who had been banned from the premises, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

The clerk, Nicholas Vitatoe, 42, is free on his own recognizance.

An investigation showed that around 1:30 a.m. on May 19, 2020, a confrontation occurred between Vitatoe and Marvel Locke, 58, a Cordova man who had been banned from the property for allegedly harassing clerks and customers.

Minutes later Vitatoe called the police and told them he had shot someone. When officers arrived, they found Locke on the pavement in front of the store with a gunshot wound to the head.

Vitatoe told officers his gun was on the counter inside the store.

Locke was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Theresa McCusker of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 1 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 7 and Criminal Court Division 1.

Defendant Admits to Attack on Disabled Man

June 4, 2021 – A convicted felon just released from prison has pled guilty to attacking and robbing a disabled man who was carjacked and driven around the city for more than an hour in 2019, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Joseph Hamilton, 35, pled guilty as charged to aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping and carjacking. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison without parole by Criminal Court Judge Bobby Carter.

A codefendant facing the same charges has a court date later this month.

The incident occurred shortly after midnight on April 15, 2019, near North Hollywood and Harvard Avenue in the Binghampton area when the 33-year-old victim who uses a walker was attacked outside of his home.

The man told police he was struck in the back of the head with a heavy object and then was forced into the backseat of his car while his two attackers drove to several locations trying to use his credit card.

During the drive, a sheriff’s deputy stopped the vehicle and gave Hamilton’s codefendant, Jashoewa Hargrow, then 17, a speeding ticket. The victim said the two men threatened to kill him if he said anything as the deputy approached.

The deputy later was able to identify Hargrow and Hamilton in court.

The assailants put the victim out of the car several blocks from his home, leaving him with his walker and wheelchair. He was robbed of $418, his cellphone and his automobile.

The case was handled by Felony Asst. Regina Thompson and Asst. Dist. Atty. Forrest Edwards of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 3 which handles cases in General Sessions Division 11 and Criminal Court Division 3.

Motorist Indicted in Double Homicide

May 20, 2021 – A Cordova man has been indicted on two counts of vehicular homicide involving intoxication related to a two-car crash last year in Southwest Memphis, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Charles Robert Jones, 39, on additional charges of DUI, driving under the influence of an intoxicant, and reckless driving.

The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Jan 26, 2020, on Third Street and Raines Road. Investigators said Jones was traveling northbound at a high rate of speed when he disregarded a red light, crossed the center line and struck another vehicle head-on, killing Sonya Lea Roser, 54, of Ripley, Miss., and her passenger, Christopher Allen Hunt, 50, of Horn Lake.

Jones told investigators at the scene that he had been smoking “weed” earlier because he was upset over the death of Kobe Bryant.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Glen Baity of the District Attorney’s DUI Prosecution Unit which works with local law enforcement to reduce the number of DUI-related fatalities and injuries in Shelby County.

The Unit also conducts training sessions to keep law enforcement officers updated on new laws and changes to existing laws.  

Police Officer Indicted on Murder Charge

May 19, 2021 – A Memphis police officer accused of killing a man in the back of his squad car and disposing of the body earlier this year has been indicted on first-degree murder and other felony charges, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Patric Ferguson, 29, also was indicted on counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, official misconduct and official oppression.

He is being held without bond.

Investigators said that on Jan. 6, 2021, victim Robert Lee Howard Jr., 30, was reported missing by his girlfriend. Ferguson was developed as a suspect and eventually told investigators he had gone to Howard’s residence, abducted him at gunpoint and killed him in the back of his patrol car.

Ferguson also said he left Howard’s body at one location, then enlisted help to move and dispose of the body at another location where it was recovered on Jan. 10. A second defendant, Joshua Rogers, 28, was indicted on counts of accessory after the fact, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. He is free on a $25,000 bond.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Paul Hagerman of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit which incorporates and expands the work of the Multi-Agency Gang Unit, the Organized Crime Unit, Project Safe Neighborhoods/GunDone, GunStat, the Safe Streets Task Force and the Violent Crime Unit.  

Trucker Indicted in Child’s Traffic Death

May 14, 2021 – A Mississippi truck driver was indicted Thursday on reckless vehicular homicide charges related to an interstate crash last summer that killed a 5-year-old girl and injured three other people, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Herandus Washington, 27, of Byhalia, is free on $7,500 bond.

The crash occurred on June 22 last year on I-240 near I-55 when the tractor-trailer he was driving westbound struck the rear of a Toyota SUV as he was changing lanes from left to right, investigators said.

Washington’s truck then pushed the SUV into another a Nissan sedan that had slowed down for vehicles entering the I-240 from the I-55 entrance ramp. The SUV was hit broadside and forced off the roadway by the truck.

Five-year-old Collins Leach, who was in the backseat of the SUV, was taken to a hospital where she died. Her 4-year-old brother, her father and a woman driving the sedan were taken to hospitals in non-critical condition.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Brad Reasonover of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 3 which handles cases in General Sessions Division 11 and in Criminal Court Division 3.

Collierville Man Indicted in Fatal Crash

May 14, 2021 – A Collierville man has been indicted on vehicular homicide charges stemming from a one-vehicle crash last summer near Eads in which his front-seat passenger was killed, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury also indicted defendant Ryan M. Watson, 21, on a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident involving death. He is free on $30,000 bond.

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office investigators said the crash occurred around 4:30 a.m. on July 5, 2020, on Macon Road near at Pine Acres Road in northeast Shelby County.

The vehicle struck two trees and a utility pole before coming to rest on its side. Kyle Brown, 21, of Collierville, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said Watson left the scene on foot and returned several hours later.

The case is being handled by the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 3 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 11 and in Criminal Court Division 3.

Three Indicted in Arlington Shootout

May 10, 2021 – Three men have been indicted on multiple felony charges stemming from a shootout during a drug deal last year in Arlington that left one man dead and three wounded, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

The three defendants – Delmarc Hollingsworth II, 27, of Trenton, and brothers Anterion Springfield, 18, and Montre Jeter, 20, both of Brownsville – were indicted on counts of second-degree murder, reckless endangerment, and possession of a controlled substance.

Hollingsworth also was indicted on felony counts of convicted felon in possession of a firearm and tampering with evidence.

They were indicted on April 29, but the indictments did not become public until they were taken into custody Thursday by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Team and the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

The incident occurred last Dec. 7 on the parking lot of McDonald’s at 11590 Highway 70 in Arlington where the defendants had arranged to buy marijuana from two others. During the transaction, however, an altercation erupted when the defendants tried to pay with counterfeit money. In an exchange of gunfire, 19-year-old Anthony Grayson was killed by multiple gunshots. A companion who worked at McDonald’s was wounded in the leg as he ran for cover.

Hollingsworth drove away and later dropped off Springfield and Jeter at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton in Covington where they were treated for gunshot wounds.               

Officers Justified in Shooting Death of Gunman

May 6, 2021 – Two Memphis police officers were legally justified when they shot and killed a Frayser man who pointed a handgun at one of them from close range and refused their commands to drop the weapon, Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich said Thursday.

The incident involving 35-year-old Antonio Smith Jr. occurred the night of Dec. 26, 2019, in the 3600 block of Hallbrook Street near Corning Avenue. A woman with a baby was outside screaming, “Help. Someone’s trying to kill my baby’s daddy.” 

The two officers, who were investigating an unrelated prowler call next door, were going to the woman’s aid when they saw Smith. He had a pistol in one hand and a board in the other as he chased a man across the yard.

One of the officers stepped in Smith’s path as the man he was chasing ran by. Both officers drew their weapons and held flashlights on Smith, identified themselves as police officers, and ordered him to drop his weapons.

Smith did not respond, but instead raised his arm and pointed his pistol at one of the officers from about 10 feet away. That officer and his partner both fired. Smith, whose blood alcohol level was .12, was struck twice in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident was recorded on both officers’ body-worn cameras.

According to procedure, DA Weirich asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to handle the investigation and compile a report on the incident, including witness interviews, videos, crime scene photos, ballistics, autopsy results, and other details.

The TBI report was reviewed by the Officer Involved Death Review Team, which includes DA Weirich and five senior attorneys.

“Based on the review and legal analysis of the TBI report, the two officers were legally justified in their use of lethal force in this case,” she said. “The armed suspect, who ignored their commands to drop his weapons, clearly posed a threat of serious bodily injury to themselves and to bystanders. The officers had no other reasonable option but to shoot.”

The decision considers only state criminal law.

The TBI report, as well as a PowerPoint summary by DA Weirich, can be viewed here. Redactions have been made in accordance with Tennessee law and privacy standards.

West Tenn. Drug Task Force Awards Luncheon

May 6, 2021 – The annual recognition luncheon of the West Tennessee Drug Task Force (WTDTF) will be held Friday at Bellevue Baptist Church at 2000 Appling Road in Cordova.

The WTDTF’s Interdiction Unit will be honored with a Joint Resolution from the Tennessee Senate for being named the 2020 Team of the Year by the six-state Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (GCHIDTA).

The nine members of the team that patrols I-40 in Shelby, Fayette and Haywood counties conducted more than 140 stops resulting in a number of significant seizures with a total street value of more than $100 million. The seizures included marijuana, heroin, Fentanyl, and other dangerous drugs, as well as U.S. currency.

Another Senate Resolution will recognize WTDTF Agent Michael Thomas, who is assigned from the Memphis Police Department, for the year’s largest dangerous drug seizure in the GCHIDTA - 8.8 pounds of Fentanyl.

“Everything these officers do saves lives in Tennessee,” said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich, chairman of the WTDTF board of directors. “Their daily mission is removing deadly drugs and criminals from our streets.”

The WTDF operates by joint agreement of Tennessee’s 28th, 29th and 30th Judicial Districts, and also includes members assigned from Fayette County (of the 25th Judicial District) and Haywood County Sheriff’s Offices, and Memphis, Germantown and Oakland Police Departments, said Director Johnie Carter.

Teen Indicted in Pot-Deal Shooting Death

May 3, 2021 – A 19-year-old man has been indicted in the shooting death of a West Memphis teen and the wounding of his friend who had travelled to Memphis hoping to purchase marijuana, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted defendant Kenneth Givens on counts of first-degree murder, and two counts each of attempted first-degree murder and employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

The incident occurred on Sept. 15 last year in the parking lot of an apartment building on North Merton Street in Binghampton where the two victims and a companion had driven to purchase marijuana, investigators said.

Givens approached their car, but after a brief discussion he ordered them to leave after they allegedly tried to pay him with fake money. Givens then fired at their vehicle as they drove away, striking two passengers in the backs of their heads.

Antoine Sims, 18, died of his wounds two days later in a hospital. A 20-year-old companion in the car was less seriously injured and was later discharged. Givens was developed as a suspect and was arrested on Dec. 15.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Kirby May of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 5 which handles cases in General Sessions Division 13 and in Criminal Court Division 9.

Man Indicted in Shooting Death of Frayser Grandmother

May 3, 2021 – A 37-year-old man has been indicted on first-degree murder charges for alleging shooting at several people and killing an innocent bystander – a woman holding her grandson - last year in Frayser, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Darrell Peterson also faces felony counts of attempted first-degree murder, employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony, and convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

He is being held on $100,000 bond.

Investigators said a group of women was involved in an altercation the afternoon of May 16 last year in the 4000 block of Knob Drive in Frayser when two of them began smashing windows at one residence. Some in the group also had bats and knives.

Moments later, investigators said, Peterson drove up, shouted at some in the crowd and then fired several shots. Patricia Draper Bryant, 55, who was in her yard two houses away and holding her baby grandson, was struck in the chest. She died later at a hospital.

An argument that began on Facebook led to the altercation which was streamed live on the social media site.

Two others indicted in the case include Peterson’s sister, 20-year-old Bernautica McClure, who was dressed in a black security guard uniform, and 29-year-old Debra Prettie. Both were indicted on counts of vandalism over $1,000 for alleging smashing windows at a residence during the altercation.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Jimmy Thomas of the District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit (SPU) in Criminal Court Division 8. The SPU seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.