Two Indicted in Killing after Northaven Shoot-out

April 13, 2022 – Denorius Jevondrick Butler, 27, and Tyler Tee Malek Wilson, 23, have been indicted in the shooting death of Maurice Walker following a shoot-out in Northaven, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Wilson and Butler both on second-degree murder and criminal attempt second-degree murder. Butler was also indicted on tampering with evidence, possession of a controlled substance (PCS) with intent to sell, and PCS with intent to deliver. Wilson is being held on a $500,000 bond, and Butler on a $150,000 bond.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of Saturday October 9, 2021. Investigators said that Maurice Walker met his brother in Northaven and then followed Walker in his vehicle to a residence on Blacksmith Drive, where Walker’s daughter lives with his ex-girlfriend. Walker’s brother advised that Walker suddenly stopped the car in the middle of the road in front of a residence in the 5000 block of Blacksmith Drive, exited the vehicle, and got into a verbal altercation with individuals standing underneath the carport. Walker then walked out from behind his vehicle, and multiple people began firing at him from the carport. He was hit multiple times and collapsed as he turned to run towards his vehicle.

Walker’s brother grabbed him and pulled him behind his vehicle while the shooting continued. He then grabbed his handgun and began returning fire. Upon arriving at the scene, deputies observed a man later identified as Butler entering the residence. When he exited he was taken into custody, and later provided a recorded statement that he shot at Walker as he exited his vehicle because he thought Walker had a gun. He told police he gave his weapon to one of the fleeing suspects after the shooting and ran into his home. When detectives executed a search warrant on his home they found marijuana, as well as small bags used in the distribution of illegal narcotics. Butler admitted all of this belonged to him.

Police obtained a warrant for a cell phone left plugged into the carport, and determined that this belonged to Wilson. Through further investigation, Wilson was identified as a shooter.

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

Two Indicted in Connection With Slaying of Couple Taking Son to Court

April 13, 2022 – A 60-year-old man has been indicted in the 2020 slaying of a Memphis couple who were killed in their driveway as they were preparing to take their son to court to testify against a man who shot him earlier that year, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

The grand jury indicted Jaja Mani, aka Curtis Gouldin, on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. A second man, Troy Clay, 44, was indicted on a count of coercion of a witness.

A third suspect in the case is being sought. Anyone with information is asked to call Memphis CrimeStoppers at 528-CASH.

The shooting occurred around 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 12, 2020, when Emmanuel Macdonal Sr., 39, and his wife, Nancy Macdonal, 42, were preparing to take their 20-year-old son to court at 201 Poplar to testify against a man who shot him five months earlier, leaving him disabled.

The parents were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds in the driveway of their home in the 1500 block of Patterson Street. Their son, who was in the back seat of their car, was seriously wounded, but survived.

Investigators said Mani and Clay are believed to be the same men who came to the couple’s home 10 days earlier and offered them $10,000 if their son did not testify against Kevin Gomez, 20, the man charged with shooting him in the head in June of 2020.

Then, a day before the driveway shooting, Mani was seen on home surveillance video walking up to the couple’s front door and leaving an envelope containing $1,000, a lawyer’s business card, and a note that said “Contact this (sic) let them know you were mistaken and can’t be responsible for an innocent person going to jail. Rest to come! Emmanuel.”

Mani and Clay were arrested later that day at an apartment in Hickory Hill.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Abby Wallace of the District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit 8 which seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders and by Chief Prosecutor Carla Taylor of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 6 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 15 and in Criminal Court Division 10.

Car Burglar Convicted in Shootout with Millington Homeowner

April 11, 2022 – A car burglar who got into a gunfight with the vehicle’s owner has been convicted of attempted murder, burglary of a motor vehicle and other felony counts, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury Friday convicted Jonathan James Lee, 35, of Memphis on attempted first-degree murder, employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony, two counts of burglary of a motor vehicle, and theft of property over $1,000.

Lee is in the Shelby County Jail awaiting sentencing next month.

According to sheriff’s deputies, Lee was breaking into a vehicle around 11:40 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2019, parked outside a residence on Covington Pike Road in Millington when the homeowners noticed him.

A woman there called 911 while her husband armed himself and went outside to confront Lee who gotten back into his own vehicle and began shooting through a rolled-down window. He got out and continued shooting.

The 56-year-old homeowner was shot in the right eye and in the back, but managed to return fire, striking Lee in the stomach. Lee managed to drive away, but his car got stuck in the mud at an area construction zone.

He was arrested by deputies a short time later walking down Highway 14 near Covington Pike. Lee was treated at a hospital and then taken to jail.

The trial was handled by Felony Asst. Melissa Harris and Asst. Dist. Atty. Paige Munn.

Harris is with the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 1 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 7 (Veterans Court) and in Criminal Court Division 1.

Munn is with the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit which prosecutes cases involving gang members and violent crime, including homicides, aggravated robbery, rape, attempted murders and narcotics trafficking.

Teen Pleads Guilty in Carjacking, Robbery

April 6, 2022 – A Memphis teen pled guilty Tuesday to carjacking a woman at a service station on Lamar in 2018 and robbing a teacher three days later as she arrived for school, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Dontavious Bell, 19, was sentenced to 7.2 years in prison, and must serve 75 percent of that sentence before he can be considered for parole. He was 15 at the time of the crimes.

The carjacking incident occurred around 10 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2018, at a service station in the 1200 block of Lamar Avenue when a 29-year-old woman pulled up to a gas pump. Another vehicle with three teens inside then pulled up to the pump next to her, and two of the suspects got out, including one armed with a pistol.

One pointed the pistol at her and ordered her to get out of her car and give him the keys. While the second suspect got in a back seat, the gunman got in the driver’s seat and drove away in the woman’s car, with the third suspect following in the second vehicle.

Investigators said Bell also robbed a teacher as she arrived at Carver High School around 7 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2018. The teacher said two suspects pulled up in another car and that one of them got out and pointed a handgun at her. The gunman took her backpack containing a laptop computer, her wallet, cash and other items.

Bell and codefendant Alfred Hill, 20, were identified as suspects and were arrested two weeks later. The carjacking case against Hill, who was 16 at the time, is pending, along with robbery and theft cases.

Bell and Hill were transferred from Juvenile Court to be tried as adults.

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

Ex-Boyfriend Sentenced in Attack on Woman

April 6, 2022 – A Raleigh man convicted last month of shooting his former girlfriend in the head after confronting her in a parking lot where he left her to die was sentenced Tuesday to 56 years in prison, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Deuterondus Anderson, 37, was sentenced in Criminal Court to 40 years for attempted first-degree murder, 10 years for employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony, and six years for convicted felon in possession of a handgun. All are to be served consecutively.

The victim, who survived and testified in trial against her assailant, described for the court Tuesday the debilitating injuries she sustained and how those injuries have impacted her interaction with her children.

The shooting occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 20, 2016, as the victim, then 27, was returning to her apartment in Raleigh. Witnesses said they heard loud arguing followed by gunshots.

The victim was shot in the face and left unable to speak for months. A baby she was carrying was stillborn. She and others identified Anderson as the gunman. He was arrested two months later.

Anderson still faces charges of allegedly soliciting and conspiring from jail to make payments to have his former girlfriend and a witness killed to prevent them from testifying against him in trial.

The trial this week was handled by Felony Asst. Paige Munn of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit (CSNPU) and by Asst. Dist. Atty. Samuel D. Winnig of the District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit. (SPU).

The CSNPU handles cases involving gang members and violent crimes, including homicides, aggravated robberies, kidnappings, rapes, and narcotics trafficking.

The SPU seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.

Two Indicted in Drive-by Shooting

April 5, 2022 – Taylor Janae Williams, 24, and Randall Durrell French, 32, have been indicted in the drive-by shooting death of Tammy Hawthorne, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Williams on first-degree murder, and French on facilitation of first-degree murder. Williams is being held without bond, and French is being held on a $200,000 bond.

The incident occurred at 3:00am on Friday, October 1, 2020. MPD officers responded to a wounding call in the 3000 block of Lamar Avenue, where they found a female victim suffering from a gunshot wound. Tammy Hawthorne was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators obtained video surveillance from several locations in the area, and developed a suspect who was captured on video in the area prior to the homicide. The suspect’s picture was released to the media, and a Crime Stoppers tip identified him as Randall French and gave his Facebook account name. Investigators obtained a warrant for his Facebook account, and found messages in which French spoke about the homicide with another person, later identified as Taylor Williams. Hours after the homicide, Ms. Williams listed the vehicle used in the homicide as for sale.

On September 24, 2021, Ms. Williams was brought to the homicide office, where she waived her rights and told investigators that she was the one who shot Tammy Hawthorne, and that she had sold the vehicle used in the homicide. On the same day Randall French was brought to the homicide office where he waived his rights, and advised that he drove the vehicle used in the shooting and pulled up to Tammy Hawthorne, but did not shoot her.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Carla Taylor and Karlyn Hillard of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 6 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 15 and Criminal Court Division 10.

Whitehaven Man Convicted in Fatal Shooting

April 2, 2022 – A Whitehaven man was convicted Friday in the shooting death of a driver in 2019 who had pulled away to avoid being robbed, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury convicted Courdarrius Perkins, 22, on counts of murder in the perpetration of a felony and aggravated robbery. The murder carries a sentence of life in prison. He will be sentenced later on the robbery.

The incident occurred on Feb. 25, 2019, when the driver, Kordedris Overton, 26, and a friend were giving an acquaintance, Dontavius Whitfield, a ride home. When they stopped in the 4300 block of Graceland, however, Whitfield stepped out, pulled a gun and demanded their valuables.

While his friend handed over a cellphone, Overton began driving away as Whitfield’s partner in planning the crime, Perkins, approached the car with a gun in his hand. Overton was shot in the head, shoulders and the leg. Overton was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Whitfield, 24, is set for trial later this month.

The trial this week has handled by Chief Prosecutor Theresa McCusker and Asst. Dist. Atty. Eric Walton of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 1 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 7 (Veteran’s Court) and in Criminal Court Division 1.

Man Sentenced After Admitting Attacks On Girlfriend’s Young Daughters

April 2, 2022 – A Westwood man was sentenced to 21 years in prison Friday for sex crimes committed against his girlfriend’s young daughters in 2017 and 2018, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Ray Jones, 46, pled guilty in Criminal Court to aggravated child abuse against one child and was sentenced to 18 years without parole. He also will be on the Violent Sex Offender Registry for life.

He was sentenced to an additional three years for solicitation to commit aggravated sexual battery against the other girl. Both incidents happened at a residence on Western Park Drive in southwest Memphis where Jones lived with his girlfriend and her daughters.

In April of 2017, the 12-year-old daughter said in a note to her mother that Jones had asked her repeatedly if he could fondle her. After she refused each time, she said Jones then offered her money if she would let him fondle her.

In August of 2018, the girl and her 8-year-old sister said Jones came into their bedroom and began stabbing the younger sister with a knife, causing wounds to her face and shoulders. The attack did not stop until the older sister – who was the victim in the earlier incident jumped on Jones’s back.

The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Gavin Smith of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit (SVU) which prosecutes cases that include rape, child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse of children, elder abuse, and vulnerable adult abuse. The SVU was created as an expansion of the multi-agency Child Protection Investigative Team (CPIT).

Mother’s Boyfriend Sentenced in Neglect, Abuse and Murder of Baby Boy

April 1, 2022 – A Whitehaven man convicted earlier this year in the beating death of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son was sentenced Friday to an additional 80 years in prison on top of the life sentence he has already received, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury in February found Marterrius Hite, 29, guilty of murder in the perpetration of aggravated child abuse, murder in the perpetration of aggravated child neglect, and on additional felony counts of aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect.

After the verdicts Judge Lee Coffee sentenced Hite to life in prison on the murder convictions, which merged, and on Friday the judge added 40-year sentences for the abuse and neglect convictions.

Citing the defendant’s extensive criminal record and the excessive cruelty involved in the baby’s death, the judge ordered the sentences to be served consecutively.

According to trial testimony, on July 13, 2015, Hite called first responders to a Whitehaven apartment where he said he found Deandre Davis floating in an upstairs bathtub and not breathing. The boy was taken to Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center where he died a short time later.

Police and medical personnel noticed cuts and bruising on the baby’s body, and Hite conceded that he had grabbed the baby by the neck and “popped him several times with a belt on his stomach and legs” before he found him in the bathtub.

A belt the defendant was wearing had a pattern of studs on it that matched multiple injuries of the boy’s back and legs.

The medical examiner later reported finding head trauma, brain hemorrhaging, numerous internal injuries in the abdomen, and scars and wounds in various stages of healing on the boy’s torso, legs and right arm.

A doctor for the defense told the jury the boy died from cancer.

The jury returned its verdict on Friday night. The case took years to bring to trial primarily because of extensive medical reports gathered and shared by both sides, and then additional delays were brought on by Covid restrictions that have limited trials in the past two years.

The case was handled by Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen and Asst. Dist. Atty. Dru Carpenter of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit (SVU) which prosecutes cases that include rape, child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse of children, elder abuse, and vulnerable adult abuse.

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

Man Convicted in 2016 Rape of a Child

April 1, 2022 – A South Memphis man was convicted Thursday of raping and impregnating an 11-year-old girl in 2016, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury took less than 20 minutes to find 29-year-old Gregory Hickman guilty of rape of a child. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12 by Judge Lee Coffee.

According to testimony this week, the child’s mother said that in October of 2016 she noticed that her daughter’s stomach felt hard. She said her daughter appeared to be pregnant and that at that point the girl told her mother Hickman had raped her earlier that year.

The young girl said Hickman, who was known to the victim’s family, was walking her home from a neighborhood store and suggested they take a shortcut off of Crump Boulevard near Mississippi Boulevard.

She said that when they got to a bushy area Hickman grabbed her, pulled her pants down and forced her to have sex. She said he then grabbed her by the shirt and said he would kill her and anyone else if she told what he had done.

In December of that year the young girl gave birth to a baby. DNA testing showed Hickman to be the father.

Hickman, who remains in custody, has another rape case pending in which the victim was the 13-year-old daughter of his girlfriend.

The trial this week has handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Dru Carpenter and Alyssa Hennig of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit (SVU) which prosecutes cases of rape, child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse of child victims, elder abuse and vulnerable adult abuse. The SVU is an expansion of the multi-agency Child Protection Investigative Team (CPIT).

Suspect Indicted in Disabled Man’s Murder

March 31, 2022 – A Memphis man has been indicted in the abduction and murder of a disabled acquaintance last year whose body was found two days later in a field in southwest Memphis, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted 24-year-old Jerome Nichols on felony counts of premeditated first-degree murder, first degree murder in the perpetration of a kidnapping, especially aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon and especially aggravated robbery resulting in serious bodily injury.

Nichols is being held without bond.

Investigators said the victim, Ramarreo Prince Akins, 41, whose legs had been amputated, was abducted at gunpoint while in his wheelchair outside of a grocery the afternoon of Aug. 12, 2021, in the 4700 block of Horn Lake Road.

Surveillance video showed two men putting him into a green Saturn SUV after one of them punched and slapped him. They drove off, leaving the wheelchair behind. Two days later, a father and his son who were riding four wheelers discovered Akins’ body in a field in the 2000 block of West Shelby Drive.

The medical examiner said the victim was shot more than a half dozen times.

Nichols was developed as a suspect and was arrested a month later. The second suspect has not been identified. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Memphis CrimeStoppers at 528-CASH (2274).

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 5.

Motorist Indicted in Crash That Killed Former Shelby County Medical Examiner

March 29, 2022 – A motorist involved in a fatal crash last year that killed former Shelby County Medical Examiner Dr. Karen Chancellor has been indicted on counts of vehicular homicide and drunken driving, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Courtney T. Kincaid, 41, of Memphis, is being held in the Shelby County Jail on $100,000 bond.

Investigators said the crash occurred around 10 a.m. on Sept. 10, 2021, on Sam Cooper Boulevard near Mendenhall when Kincaid was driving a pickup truck pulling a trailer with lawn equipment.

Witnesses said Kincaid was traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed when he lost control, crossed the median, went airborne and landed on top of Dr. Chancellor’s SUV which was westbound.

She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Investigators said Kincaid’s BAC was .267.

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

Man Indicted in Shooting Death of Live-In Girlfriend

March 28, 2022 – A 40-year-old man has been indicted in the shooting death of his live-in girlfriend, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Cornelius Williams on a count of second-degree murder, as well as convicted felon in possession of a handgun. He is being held on a $600,000 bond.

The incident occurred late on Sunday, October 3, 2021, in the 3000 block of Madeline Circle. MPD officers responded to a shooting call and found Shaniece Moore inside a black Infiniti M37 unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

A witness observed a male, matching Mr. Williams’ description, firing several shots at close range striking Ms. Moore in the chest as she fell to the ground. He had observed Ms. Moore arguing with Mr. Williams earlier in the day.

A second witness stated that he observed Mr. Williams following behind Ms. Moore while holding a black and silver handgun. Both witnesses described Mr. Williams as Ms. Moore’s live-in boyfriend.

Mr. Williams was taken to 170 N. Main Homicide Office where he waived his Miranda rights, and gave a statement that he was in possession of a .45 caliber handgun. Investigators discovered that Mr. Williams had pled guilty to a felony in 2002, and thus was charged with convicted felon in possession of a handgun and second-degree murder. Investigators executed a search warrant for Ms. Moore and Mr. Williams’ residence and found a .45 handgun.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Justin Prescott of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Unit.

Motorist Sentenced in Officer’s Death

March 25, 2022 – A 53-year-old motorist was sentenced Friday on multiple felony counts, including aggravated vehicular homicide, stemming from a 2019 crash that killed veteran Memphis Police Lt. Myron Fair, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Fair, a 25-year veteran who was approaching retirement, was on his way home from work when his vehicle was struck from behind at an intersection in Raleigh.

The crash occurred around 12:15 a.m. on March 21 at Austin Peay Highway and Yale Road. Investigators said Fair was stopped at a traffic light in his 2017 Altima when he was struck from behind by a 2015 Dodge Durango driven at a high rate of speed by Griffin. Griffin, who has three prior DUI convictions, walked away from the crash, and was arrested a short time later at a nearby service station.

Judge John Campbell (formerly of Criminal Court Division 6, now with the Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals) sentenced Marquell Griffin to 23 years (at 60%) on the aggravated vehicular homicide charge, 2 years on the charge of leaving the scene of an accident, and 2 years on possession of a controlled substance. The sentences are to be served consecutively, totaling 27 years.

The case was handled by Chief Prosecutor Glen Baity and Assistant District Attorney Kenya Smith of the DA’s DUI Prosecution Unit whose members work with local law enforcement seeking to reduce the number of DUI-related fatalities and injuries. The DUI Prosecution Unit also conducts training sessions to update law enforcement officers on changes in traffic and DUI laws.

Man Indicted in Killing After Domino Game

March 22, 2022 – A 38-year-old man has been indicted in the stabbing death of an acquaintance in 2021 while visiting his residence for a domino game, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Maurice Walker on a count of first-degree murder. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, May 18, 2021, at the home of Mary Singleton in the 1400 block of Robin Hood Lane. Investigators said that Ms. Singleton went to bed around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, leaving the victim, her cousin Leroy Jones, and Maurice Walker playing a game of dominoes in the dining room. She was awakened at 3 a.m. to Mr. Walker entering her room, which she said was unusual, as he comes over to play dominoes twice a week but never stays the night.

Ms. Singleton woke up around 6 a.m. Once Mr. Walker woke up, she asked him to wake up Mr. Jones. Mr. Walker reported that he found Mr. Jones in the laundry room unresponsive, and Ms. Singleton called 911. Mr. Jones was lying in a pool of blood with apparent stab wounds, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Ms. Singleton advised that the only people in her home were Mr. Jones, Mr. Walker, and herself. Evidence was collected from the crime scene as well as from Mr. Walker’s clothing, and he was charged with second-degree murder.

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

Second Defendant Convicted in 2010 Murder of Lorenzen Wright

March 22, 2022 – A Collierville man was convicted Monday in the 2010 shooting death of former Memphis NBA star Lorenzen Wright in a murder conspiracy set in motion by the victim’s former wife, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury deliberated less than three hours before returning their verdicts against Billy Ray Turner, 51, a landscape business owner and close friend of Sherra Wright, who pled guilty in the case in 2019.

Turner was convicted of premeditated first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and attempted first-degree murder. The murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence. He will be sentenced on the other two felony convictions in April by Judge Lee Coffee.

Wright was last seen alive on July 18, 2010, when he left the home of his ex-wife. Early the next morning Germantown Police received a 911 call from Wright’s cell phone, but the call was interrupted by gunfire. Wright’s body was discovered July 28, 2010, in a field near Hacks Cross and Winchester. He had been shot multiple times. He was 34.

In November of 2017, authorities announced that they had located the murder weapon in a lake near Walnut, Miss. A month later, Turner and Sherra Wright were indicted.

Sherra Wright, 51, pled guilty in 2019 to facilitation to commit first-degree murder and facilitation to commit attempted first-degree murder. She is serving a 30-year prison sentence.

The case was handled by Chief Prosecutor Paul Hagerman and Asst. Dist. Atty. Austin Scofield of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit which prosecutes homicide cases and violent crimes associated with gang activity, including aggravated robberies, kidnappings, rapes, attempted murders, and narcotics trafficking.

Ex-Boyfriend Admits Fatally Stabbing Woman

March 22, 2022 – A 56-year-old man has pled guilty to the 2020 stabbing death of his former girlfriend whose body was found in her Frayser apartment two days later, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Johnny Ferrell pled guilty Monday in Criminal Court to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Investigators said the victim, Shannon Lee Coats, 55, was last seen alive on June 30, 2020, when security cameras showed Ferrell entering her apartment on St. Charles in the evening and leaving several hours later.

Her body was discovered in the apartment by friends two days later. She had been stabbed more than a half dozen times in the neck and chest. Ferrell had a fresh cut on his thumb and also was linked to the crime scene through blood evidence.

The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Justin Prescott and Cavett Ostner of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Unit which prosecutes cases of domestic assault and homicide committed by intimate partners.

Couple Indicted in Identity Theft Phone Scam

March 18, 2022 – A couple accused of running a large-scale identity theft scheme to steal personal information and thousands of dollars in cash from unsuspecting victims has been indicted on criminal charges, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Brandon Danley, 31, and Taryn Watson, 27, were indicted on one count of theft of property over $250,000 and 85 counts of identity theft. They are free on $75,000 bond each.

According to investigators with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, between September 2020 and March of 2021 the two worked from a Bartlett-area residence where they phoned AT&T call centers and impersonated AT&T employees.

They acquired account information from numerous customers and hacked into their cellphones, allowing the defendants to gain access to bank accounts and cash apps. The couple then would transfer funds to their own accounts, victimizing numerous people before getting caught.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Byron Winsett of the District Attorney’s Public Corruption and Economic Crimes Unit.

Heroin Supplier Sentenced to 18 Years

March 18, 2022 – A 59-year-old man convicted earlier this year as a major heroin supplier for a Memphis street gang was sentenced Friday to 18 years in prison, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury in February convicted Derrick Johnson on two felony counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to sell heroin, a controlled substance, over 150 grams. He was sentenced by Judge Glenn Wright.

Johnson was arrested following an undercover investigation by the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit. According to evidence in the trial, Johnson was one of several major suppliers of heroin for the Dixie Homes Murda Squad in 2017.

The investigation outlined the narcotics supply chain that included gang members using multiple cellphones in arranging to drop off large amounts of money at Johnson’s home on Goodland Avenue in exchange for heroin that was sometimes mixed with fentanyl.

Investigators said Johnson sometimes sold up to 500 grams – more than a pound – of heroin to the street level dealers in the gang. Another dealer and some two dozen gang members have been convicted or pled guilty in the case.

The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Chris Scruggs of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit which handles cases that include gangs, violent crimes and narcotics trafficking.

Man Convicted of Raping Ex-Girlfriend’s Child

March 17, 2022 – A Criminal Court jury this week convicted a woman’s former boyfriend of raping her 11-year-old daughter in 2015 when they all lived together in a home in Orange Mound, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Willie Lee Brown, 34, was convicted of rape of a child, and is scheduled to be sentenced in May. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail.

In 2019 the girl told her mother that Brown had raped her four years earlier when she was 11 years old. She said her mother was looking through her (the daughter’s) phone that day and that she didn’t want her mother to learn about the assault from notes she had made and stored in the phone.

The girl said she had gotten up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and that Brown walked in on her and began trying to pull down her pajamas. She said she resisted, but then stopped resisting when Brown told her if that she did not let him “do it’ with her that he would “do it” with her younger sisters. She said she complied to protect her sisters.

The mother testified that soon after she reported the incident to police, she began receiving text messages from Brown in which he referenced the case and threatened her and her daughter.

The case was prosecuted by Asst. Dist. Attys. Alyssa Hennig and Gavin Smith of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit (SVU) which handles cases involving vulnerable victims, including rape or severe physical abuse of children, elder abuse, and vulnerable adult abuse. The SVU is an expansion of the multi-agency Child Protection Investigative Team known at CPIT.