Anti-Gun Violence News Conference Set

Nov. 9, 2021 – A news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday Nov. 10 at 600 Jefferson Ave. – Methodist Le Bonheur Community Outreach - to announce three upcoming events regarding efforts to curb gun violence in the community.

   Two of the events will be public meetings next week, while the third event is the sixth Unity Walk Against Gun Violence to be held Saturday Nov. 13 starting at 10 a.m. at Raleigh Egypt High School at 3970 Voltaire Ave.

   Registration and assembly for the 1.6-mile walk begins at 9:30 a.m. Masks are required. Speakers at the 11 a.m. news conference Wednesday will include:

   Shelby County District Attorney Gen. Amy Weirich; Pastor Reginald Boyce of Riverside Missionary Baptist Church in South Memphis; Pastor Brennan Hill of Pursuit of God Church in Frayser; Erika Kelley with Moms Demand Action; Stevie Moore with Freedom from Unnecessary Negatives, and Bill Gibbons with the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.

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    The community meetings will be from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday Nov. 16 at Pursuit of God Transformational Center at 3759 N. Watkins in Frayser and on Thursday Nov. 18 at Riverside Missionary Baptist Church at 3560 S. Third St.

   The purpose of the community meetings is to hear from law enforcement, prosecutors, health care leaders, and other key community stakeholders about specific ways to curb gun violence, with opportunity for feedback and input.

   Speakers at the Nov. 16 Pursuit of God meeting will include Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis; DA Weirich; Erika Kelley and Mary Powers of Moms Demand Action; Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner; Dr. Michelle Taylor, Director of the Shelby County Health Department; Acting U.S. Atty. Joe Murphy, and Vinessa Brown of Lifeline to Success.

   Speakers at Riverside Missionary Baptist on Nov. 18 will include MPD Assistant Chief Don Crowe; DA Weirich; Erika Kelley and Dave Cambron of Moms Demand Action; Sheriff Bonner; Acting U.S. Attorney Murphy; Dr. Bruce Randolph, Chief Health Officer of the Shelby County Health Department; Hazel Moore, community leader known as “the mayor of Whitehaven,” and Dr. Andy Kerwin, Chief of Trauma Surgery at Regional One Health.

   Stevie Moore of Freedom from Unnecessary Negatives will moderate the discussions at both community meetings.

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   Saturday’s Unity Walk will be the sixth since the first walk was held in November last year in the Medical Center. More than 2,300 people have attended the walks.

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

   Organizations that will have resource tables at the Unity Walk include:

• Alliance Healthcare Services

• Shelby County Crime Victims & Rape Crisis Center

• Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital

• YWCA Greater Memphis

• Regional One Health

• Freedom From Unnecessary Negatives/FFUN

• Shelby County Health Department – Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR)

• Shelby County Health Department - Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

• Moms Demand Action

• Memphis Police Department – Traffic Safety

• Shelby County Division of Community Services (Rental & Utility Assistance, Aging Commission of the Mid-South

• Memphis Office of Youth Services – MPLOY and Ambassadors Programs

• Shelby County Schools – Mental Health Center

• Mid-South Transplant Foundation

• Raleigh CDC

• State Farm Insurance

• Bell Financial Solutions LLC

• Pregnant Moms’ Empowerment Program

• Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County

• Memphis PAL

• Patch 55 (Providing Assisting Teaching Challenging Helping)

• Memphis Public Library JobLINC.

Woman Convicted of Illegal Voting Sign-Up

     Nov. 6, 2021 – A Memphis woman who pled guilty in 2015 to two felony offenses was found guilty this week of illegally registering to vote in 2019, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich. 

     Defendant Pamela Moses, 44, faces four to eight years in prison when she is sentenced Dec. 10 in Criminal Court. She remains free on $10,000 bond.

     On April 29, 2015, she pled guilty to tampering with evidence and forgery, both felonies, and to misdemeanor counts of perjury, stalking, theft under $500 and escape. She was placed on probation for eight years. 

     Under the law, she also was rendered infamous because of her felony convictions and lost her rights of citizenship, including her right to vote. She was permanently deemed ineligible to register and vote in Tennessee because of the tampering with evidence conviction.

    Proof at trial this week showed that on Sept. 3, 2019, Moses filed a certificate of restoration and application for voter registration with the Shelby County Election Commission, falsely asserting that her sentence had expired and that she was eligible to register to vote.

    However, Moses was still serving her 2015 sentence on unsupervised probation at the time she filed the restoration documents.  

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

Wife Convicted of Murdering Husband Whose Body Was Hidden in Attic

Nov. 5, 2021 – A jury took just 17 minutes Thursday to convict a Parkway Village woman of killing her husband whose body was found in a plastic tub hidden in a locked crawl space in the attic of their home, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

    The Criminal Court jury convicted Latosha Starks-Twilley, 43, of first-degree murder in the 2016 death of 47-year-old Waddell Twilley. The conviction carries a sentence of life in prison.

    According to testimony in the trial this week, the victim was reported missing on June 18, 2016, although his vehicle was parked in his driveway in the 4100 block of Cottonwood Road and his wallet and other personal belongings were inside the residence.

   When the couple’s 11-year-old son called his father’s cellphone, it rang from inside an upstairs wall, though no one answered repeated calls. His mother claimed to have no knowledge of her husband’s whereabouts, and also said the large hole she had been digging in the backyard was for a garden.

   The boy had neighbors notify police, who also heard the cellphone ringing inside the crawl space which was behind a padlocked door inside a closet. Officers got a key from the defendant, and inside the crawl space found a large plastic tub with the victim’s body encased in concrete and covered with clothes, dirt, cigarette butts and other debris.

   The victim’s hands and feet were handcuffed, and his head was wrapped in several layers of plastic and duct tape. The cause of death was suffocation.

    The case was handled by Chief Prosecutor Greg Gilbert of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) and by Asst. Dist. Atty. Nicole Germain of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit (CSNPU).

   The DVU handles cases of domestic assault and homicide committed by intimate partners. The CSNPU handles case involving gang members and violent crimes, including homicides, aggravated robberies, kidnappings, rapes, attempted murders and narcotics trafficking.

Deadly Shootout Leads to Multiple Indictments

 Nov. 5, 2021 – Three men have been indicted on multiple felony counts related to an attempted robbery last November near the airport that resulted in gunfire that left two men dead and three others critically wounded, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

    A grand jury indicted Cornelius Ward, 21, Kobe Westbrooks, 21, and Marcus Greer, 22 on felony counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, attempted especially aggravated robbery, employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.

    Ward and Westbrooks are free on $95,000 bond each. Greer, who was arrested in July, is being held in the Shelby County Jail.

   The incident occurred shortly before 10 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2020, at an apartment in the 3400 block of Metropolitan Circle off of Winchester Road near Old Getwell Road.

   Investigators said several men entered the apartment with guns and one told the occupants to “drop it off.” Multiple gunshots then were exchanged, striking five people. When police arrived they found victim Javon Cork, 28, dead in the kitchen area, and two others in the apartment who were critically wounded.

   Near the front door of the apartment, Christopher Hudson, 31, who was identified as a suspect, was found dead from gunshot wounds. Suspect Ward also sustained gunshot wounds and was dropped off at a hospital by private vehicle.

   Ward and Westbrooks were identified and charged soon after the shootings. Greer was developed as a suspect and was taken into custody after a traffic stop in July of this year.

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

Motorist Indicted in DUI-Related Crash That Killed Baby Son, Other Passenger

Nov. 5, 2021 – A motorist who crashed while driving at a high of speed earlier this year on I-240 Midtown now faces multiple felony counts for the incident that killed two passengers, including his 2-year-old son, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

    Defendant Kenneth Orange Jr., 33, was indicted on felony counts of vehicular homicide involving intoxication over .08, recklessness and drugs (cocaine); aggravated assault; DUI involving intoxication, drugs (cocaine), child accompaniment, and death; and reckless driving. He is being held on $200,000 bond.

    The one-vehicle crash occurred shortly before 5 p.m. on Feb. 28, 2021, as Orange was driving northbound on I-240 approaching Lamar Avenue. Witnesses said he was traveling at a high rate of speed while swerving in and out of traffic.

   Orange lost control, struck a concrete barrier, spun onto the road’s grassy shoulder, hit a large metal sign post, slid backward and slammed into a tree. Two backseat passengers - Kennise Orange, 2, and Toronzo Parrish, 20 – were killed in the crash, while a 22-year-old man in the front seat and Orange were injured.

    Investigators said they found open containers of alcoholic beverages in the driver’s compartment of the 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix.

    The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Vanessa Murtaugh of the District Attorney’s DUI Prosecution Unit which works with local law enforcement to reduce DUI-related fatalities and injuries in Shelby County.           

County Man Indicted in Homicide, Drug Case

Nov. 4, 2021 – A southeast Shelby County man has been indicted on murder, drug possession and other felony charges related to the shooting death earlier this year of another man, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

     A grand jury indicted Jeffery Q. Boyle, 31, on counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony, unlawful possession of marijuana with intent to sell and deliver, and tampering with evidence. He is free on $125,000 bond.

    The incident occurred on April 12 this year in a subdivision near East Holmes Road and Riverdale Road.

    Shelby County Sheriff’s Office investigators said Boyle shot 30-year-old Reginald Palmer Jr. at a planned meeting spot in the 7200 block of Blue Grouse Lane. Palmer drove away, mortally wounded with a bullet in his side, and told his girlfriend in the front passenger seat to call 911.

   His car struck a curb and came to rest on a sidewalk in front of a nearby residence on Easterly Lane. Palmer was pronounced dead at the scene.

    During their investigation, deputies said, Boyle ran into the crime scene where the shooting occurred, picked up the cell phone he had dropped and ran from officers. He was arrested later that day at a residence in Cordova where deputies also recovered the cell phone, a pistol and seven baggies of marijuana.

    The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Chris Whitten of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 4 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 12 and in Criminal Court Division 4.

Friend of Victim Indicted in Fatal Shooting

Nov. 4, 2021 – A Whitehaven man whose AR-15 style rifle discharged as he was handing it to a friend barrel first has been indicted on felony homicide charges, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

    A grand jury indicted Deuntavious Smith on a count of reckless homicide. He is free on $25,000 bond.

    Investigators said the incident occurred at 11:40 p.m. on April 26 this year in the parking lot of a Whitehaven apartment complex in the 5000 block of Village Wood Drive.

    Smith told officers he was seated in the driver’s seat of his car and was handing his rifle to a friend, Gary Cheatham Jr., 28, of Horn Lake, Miss. He said that when Cheatham was taking the rifle it discharged, striking Cheatham in the chest.

    He was pronounced dead at the scene.

    The case is being handled by Felony Asst. Ryan Thompson of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 5 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 13 and in Criminal Court Division 9.

15-Year-Old Indicted in Murder Case

Nov. 4, 2021 – A Mississippi teen has been indicted on murder, robbery and other felony charges in the shooting death of an acquaintance earlier this year, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

    Caleb Hamer, who was 14 at the time, was indicted on counts of first-degree felony murder, especially aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, and theft under $1,000. He is being held at the Shelby County Jail East juvenile facility.

   The shooting occurred around 3 p.m. on April 11 this year in the 3200 block of Forest Brook Drive in the Fox Meadows area of Southwest Memphis. Witnesses said they heard a gunshot in the living room of the residence and that when they entered they saw Joseph Boose, 18, with a gunshot wound to the chest.

   They said he told them Hamer had shot him and that Hamer, who was still holding the pistol, acknowledged that that was correct. Boose was taken to a hospital where he later died.

   Investigators said Hamer also stole a pistol from the residence and used a debit card belonging to Boose before he was caught 10 days later in Horn Lake, Miss., by the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force.

   They said Hamer was taken into custody after he jumped from a second-floor window and threw a pistol on a rooftop.

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

Former Church Staffer Indicted In Alleged Molesting Cases

     Nov. 3, 2021 – A 53-year-old former employee of a Memphis church has been indicted for allegedly sexually molesting two teenage boys in separate incidents at the church, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

   A grand jury indicted David L. Hale on two felony counts of sexual battery by an authority figure for each incident at the Sycamore View Church of Christ.

   Hale was at the church from 2011 to 2019, working as a volunteer in sound and lighting, and for his last two years as a paid employee securing doors during church services. He was banned from church property in February 2019 when the incidents came to light.

   According to investigators, Hale offered to give a 13-year-old boy a massage in an audio-visual area of the church during a service around January 2016, and rubbed his hand on the boy’s penis. The boy told a youth minister about the incident in 2019, and the case was reported to Child Protective Services.

   Another incident was reported in early 2019 in which Hale allegedly gave a massage to a 17-year-old boy in a bathroom near the church gym. The boy said Hale rubbed his penis during the massage over his gym shorts.

   Memphis police and the FBI conducted the investigation.

   The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Lessie Rainey of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit which prosecutes cases of rape, physical and sexual abuse of children, elder abuse and vulnerable adult abuse.     

Driver Indicted in Motorcyclist’s Death

Oct. 29, 2021 – A 19-year-old woman has been indicted on reckless vehicular homicide charges related to an incident last year in which her car struck a motorcycle and ran over its operator, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

    A grand jury also indicted the woman, Ayana Morris, on a count of failure to exercise due care. She is free on her own recognizance.

   The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Aug. 9, 2020, in the southbound lanes of South Third Street at Mitchell Road in southwest Memphis.

   Investigators said Morris changed lanes and struck the rear of a motorcycle operated by Keith Williams, 51, of Memphis. He was knocked off the cycle and was run over by Morris’s car, causing severe head and internal injuries.

    Williams died from his injuries at a hospital 18 days later.

    The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Julie Cardillo of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 2 which handles cases in General Sessions Division 9 and in Criminal Court Division 2.

Sex Offender Sentenced in Cold-Case Rape

 Oct. 29, 2021 – A 58-year-old man with a history of sex offenses was sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole Friday for the rape of a woman at a drive-in where he had taken her on their first date in 2003, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

     Defendant Lester Ray Tolliver, who was convicted by a Criminal Court jury in September, was sentenced by Judge Lee Coffee. He has six more rape cases pending.

     The incident occurred on July 3, 2003, about a month after the woman first met Tolliver at a service station in Memphis. They spoke on the phone after that and then went on a date to see a drive-in movie in the 5300 block of Summer Ave. He told her his name was Kevin.

   The woman said that during the movie Tolliver began rubbing her legs and that when she told him to stop he only became more aggressive. She said he raped her in the front seat and then said he was taking her to a hotel to continue.

  Soon after leaving the drive-in, the woman convinced Tolliver to stop his car at a service station so she could use the restroom. Once inside, the woman locked the door and called police on her cell phone. Tolliver left before police arrived.

   A rape kit was compiled, but testing did not begin until 2013. After a DNA specimen from the kit was entered into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) databank, a match was found for Tolliver’s DNA which was on file.

   Tolliver has prior convictions for attempted rape in 1993, and for sexual battery in 1988 and in 1989. He is on the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry as a violent offender.

   The trial this week was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Dru Carpenter and Meghan Fowler.

   ADA Carpenter is with the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit which prosecutes cases of rape, child sexual and severe physical abuse, elder abuse and vulnerable adult abuse. 

   ADA Fowler is with the District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit which seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.

Employee Indicted in Workplace Shooting

Oct. 28, 2021 – A 28-year-old construction worker has been indicted on first-degree murder charges stemming from the shooting of his team leader last year at a Cordova worksite, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

    Defendant Marcus D. Williams also was indicted as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm involving a crime of violence. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail.

    Shelby County Sheriff’s Office investigators said the shooting occurred around 9 a.m. on Sept. 18, 2020, at a construction site in the 1600 block of Appling Road.

   Witnesses said Williams got into an argument with his supervisor, William L. Scott, 38, in an unfinished garage on the site that was used as a break room. Williams left the site and returned a short time later with a handgun equipped with an extended clip.

    When Scott told him he could not have a gun at the work site, Williams began shooting at him. Witnesses said Scott was hit as he tried to run for safety and that Williams continued to shoot at him after he collapsed.

    Scott, who was struck multiple times in the legs and the head, was pronounced dead at the scene. Williams drove away, but was arrested without incident a short time later at his Raleigh-area home.

   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 in Criminal Court Division 2.

Man Indicted in Father’s Fatal Shooting

Oct. 28, 2021 – A 25-year-old man has been indicted in the shooting death of his father last year in their South Memphis home, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich. 

    A grand jury indicted Mario Harlan on a count of first-degree murder. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail. 

    At around 10 a.m. on Aug. 15, 2020, police were called to a residence in the 400 block of East Olive Avenue where they found 58-year-old Patrick Harlan seated on a living room sofa with gunshot wounds to his head and chest.

    Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. His son met arriving officers on the porch and later confessed to shooting his father during an argument. 

   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 in Criminal Court Division 2.  

Man Indicted in Stabbing Death of Mother

     Oct. 28, 2021 – A grand jury has indicted a Frayser man in the stabbing death of his mother and the critical wounding of his stepfather during an argument earlier this year in their home, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich. 

    Keenon Owens, 28, was indicted on counts of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail. 

   Investigators said the incident occurred around 2 a.m. on March 13, 2021, at the family residence in the 3300 block of Denver Street when Owens got into an argument with his 52-year-old mother, Sarah Nailor. 

    His stepfather, Larry Nailor, 56, intervened and the argument escalated into an altercation, with Owens then pulling a knife. Sarah Nailor got between the two men in an effort to stop the fight, but she was stabbed in the side by Owens and died at the scene.  

   Owens also stabbed Larry Nailor in the side and in the head, causing serious life-threatening injuries. He was hospitalized in critical condition, but survived. 

    Owens was taken into custody and later gave police a statement of admission.

   The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Meghan Fowler of the District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit 7 which seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.

DA Weirich Receives Top Leadership Award

Oct. 22, 2021 – Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich this week received the McCutchen Award, the highest leadership award given by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TNDAGC).

      DA Weirich was presented the award at the TNDAGC’s annual training conference which was held in Chattanooga. The award is presented each year to the individual who best exemplified the goals and ideals of the Conference and its efforts to improve the quality of justice for all Tennesseans.

      DA Weirich is the outgoing President of the Conference’s Executive Committee which represents the 31 DA’s throughout the state in addressing issues such as protecting victims, preventing crime, reducing rates of family violence and deadly drug dealing.

    The award is named for the late Patrick H. McCutchen of Clarksville, former Executive Director of the TNDAGC and District Attorney General for the 19th Judicial District (Montgomery and Robertson) from 1982-93.  

    Pictured with DA Weirich is Guy Jones, Executive Director of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference.

Man Convicted of Raping Girlfriend’s Child

     Oct. 15, 2021 – A 34-year-old man was convicted Thursday of sexually assaulting the 6-year-old daughter of his girlfriend at the residence they shared in the Oakhaven area near the airport, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

    A Criminal Court jury found Edward Lynn Barber guilty as charged on the felony count of rape of a child. He remains in custody and will be sentenced Nov. 22 by Judge Chris Craft.

   The incident occurred on the morning of May 10, 2017, at the residence on Queensgate Avenue as the young girl was getting ready for Barber to take her to school.

    The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Abby Wallace and Jose Leon.

Man Convicted in Rape of Woman in 2019

Oct. 14, 2021 – A jury took less than an hour Wednesday to convict a man of raping a 50-year-old woman outside an apartment in 2019 in South Memphis, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

     The Criminal Court jury convicted Frederick Leon Peat, 43, of aggravated rape following a three-day trial. He will be sentenced on Nov. 15 by Judge Carolyn Blackett.

    According to testimony, the victim was looking for an acquaintance in the early-morning hours of April 24, 2019, at an apartment near Georgia Avenue and South 4th Street. She said a man approached her, indicated that he had a gun in his pocket and ordered to a location behind the apartments where he raped her on a mattress.

    A DNA sample from a sexual assault kit was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database and a match to Peat was reported in January of 2020. The victim later identified Peat from a photospread.

    The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Dru Carpenter and Jermal Blanchard of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit (SVU) that prosecutes cases involving rape, child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse of child victims, elder abuse, and vulnerable-adult abuse.

Man Indicted in Homicide of 12-Year-Old Boy

Oct. 11, 2021 – A Westwood-area man has been indicted in the shooting death last year of a 12-year-old boy and the critical wounding of another person who was shot in the back, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

     A grand jury indicted Daylyn Byers, 22, on counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder involving serious bodily injury and employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

    Byers is being held in the Shelby County Jail on a $1 million bond.

   Investigators said the drive-by shooting occurred on Sept. 28, 2020, in the 700 block of Crillion Drive in southwest Memphis following a series of altercations involving a group of people.

    Deuntay Davis, 12, who was struck in the chest, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. A 24-year-old man nearby was shot in the back and was hospitalized in extremely critical condition.

   Witnesses said Byers, who lives near the scene of the shooting, earlier that day made threats about shooting multiple people. He was identified as the person who fired shots from a white SUV that was seen in surveillance video driving away from the scene.

    The case is being handled by Senior Felony Asst. Sarah Poe who is with the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 4 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 12 and in Criminal Court Division 4.    

Shooter Indicted in Death of Teen

Oct. 11, 2021 – An apartment resident who fired at several young car burglars earlier this year has been indicted on counts of voluntary manslaughter and convicted felon with a handgun, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

    A grand jury returned the indictments against Cameran Leatherwood, 25, who was convicted in 2015 of aggravated assault and attempted robbery, felonies that prohibited him from owning firearms.

   He is being held in the Shelby County Jail.

   The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. on April 5 at 2778 Madison Ave. in an apartment complex parking lot. Investigators said four teens in a stolen truck were breaking into a Dodge Charger when the alleged owner, Leatherwood, began shooting at them from the second floor of a nearby apartment building.

    The teens ran back to the truck which was hit by several of the gunshots, including one that broke a rear window as they were leaving and struck 17-year-old Omyus Brown in the head. The 15-year-old driver said he did not realize Brown had been hit until about 25 minutes later, when he then sought help from a relative in Frayser.

    First responding paramedics found Brown on the back seat floorboard where he was pronounced dead around 11:16 p.m.

    The case is being handled by Felony Asst. Melissa Harris of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 1 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 7 and in Criminal Court Division 1.

I-40 Traffic Stop Yields Deadly Drug Shipment Hidden in Battery

Oct. 7, 2021 – A Texas woman who was stopped on I-40 on a traffic violation early Wednesday is facing drug-trafficking charges after officers found a lethal mix of heroin and fentanyl hidden in a battery inside her vehicle.

Johnie Carter, director of the West Tennessee Drug Task Force (WTDTF), said 30-year-old Bereniz Cavazos was driving a 2017 Ford Explorer when she was stopped at 2:45 a.m. Wednesday on I-40 at the 31 mile marker in Fayette County.

Carter said illegal drug shipments of more than 10 pounds have a wholesale street value of close to $500,000.

“The agents are always on alert,” Carter said. “They train hard and they work hard to professionally interdict illegal drugs being moved through West Tennessee, therefore I am proud of this seizure.”

 He said just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can cause a fatal overdose, meaning that the seized shipment was enough to kill more than 2½ million people.

 Carter said that when Task Force officers developed reasonable suspicion that Cavazos was involved in criminal activity, K9 Romik was deployed and alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle.

 Officers located a battery in the vehicle that had obvious signs of tampering and inside the battery they discovered 11½ pounds of a heroin-fentanyl mix.

 Carter said it is believed the contraband was being taken to Ohio from Mercedes, Texas. Cavazos was taken to the Fayette County Jail.

The WTDTF operates by joint agreement in the 28th, 29th and 30th Judicial Districts and also includes members from the Fayette, Haywood and Tipton County Sheriff’s Departments and the Memphis and Germantown Police Departments.

Fayette County, which is in the 25th Judicial District, includes about 15 miles of I-40.