Customer and Companion Convicted in Robbery, Shooting at Recording Studio

May 15, 2022 – Two men were convicted Friday of shooting and robbing the owner of a South Memphis recording studio where one of them had recorded a song the previous week, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury deliberated parts of two days before convicting Corey Brown and Christopher Bolden, both 31, of especially aggravated robbery which involves robbery with a deadly weapon and serious bodily injury.

Both defendants have prior robbery convictions and face 15 to 25 years in prison without the possibility for parole when they are sentenced next month.

The crime occurred on July 2, 2018, at the IMOB Swag Heavy Studios in the 700 block of South Dudley where Brown had booked recording time singing under the name “Goon Corleone.”

When Brown arrived that day for another recording session, however, Bolden was with him. As the 34-year-old owner was setting up the equipment, he was struck him with a pistol and shot twice in the leg.

His assailants stole money from his pockets and then took a video monitor that was connected to the studio’s surveillance system. They did not take the DVR box containing video of their departure which showed them carrying the monitor and an assault rifle wrapped in a shirt. The video was shown to the jury.

When walking through the studio to leave, one of the defendants stepped over the wounded victim and shot him again in the shoulder. The bullet still is in his body, lodged near his spine.

The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Brad Reasonover and Forrest Edwards of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 3 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 11 and in Criminal Court Division 3.

Woman Convicted of Killing Boyfriend

May 13, 2022 – A woman who shot her boyfriend in the back during a confrontation on a service station parking lot two years ago was convicted of first-degree murder Thursday, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury convicted Lamiracle Scott, 26, following a four-day trial. She was automatically sentenced to life in prison by Judge James Lammey Jr.

The incident, which was captured on surveillance video, occurred the evening of Aug. 22, 2020, at a service station in the 3900 block of Rhodes Ave. near Getwell.

The video showed victim Taronza Owens, 23, being attacked by two women, including Scott who fired a pistol and struck Owens in the back as he was trying to get away. He collapsed on the pavement and was taken to a hospital where he later died.

Keyana Pittman, 25, who was seen striking Owens several times, pled guilty to aggravated assault. She will be sentenced in June.

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

Teen Indicted in Riverview Park Homicide

May 12, 2022 – A South Memphis teen was indicted Tuesday in the fatal late-night shooting last year of another teen during a fight outside of the Riverview Park Community Center, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Javon Lee White, now 17, on a count of second-degree murder. He was transferred from Juvenile Court and is being held at the Shelby County Jail East.

The incident occurred on Aug. 31, 2021, as White and several other youths were leaving the community center gym in the 1800 block of Kansas Street where White and 17-year-old Andre Smith had been in an argument.

Once outside, witnesses said Smith knocked White to the ground and that White came up shooting. Smith, who was struck in the abdomen, was taken to a hospital where he later was pronounced dead.

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.

Man With 2 Murder Charges Indicted on Third

May 11, 2022 – A 32-year-old man with two pending murder charges was indicted Tuesday in the unrelated shooting death of his cousin last year during an argument, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Lamont Murry Jr. was indicted on a felony count of second-degree murder. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail on $2 million bond.

Investigators said that on the afternoon of Nov. 7, 2021, Murry and his 20-year-old cousin Keandrea Hawkins were involved in an argument near Murry’s home on Ford Road near Dixie Road in southwest Memphis.

When the argument escalated and turned physical, Murry pulled a handgun and fired several times at Hawkins who was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Murry also is charged in the 2020 killings of a man and woman at a Memphis motel on American Way. His next court date on that case is later this month.

The newly indicted homicide case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Doug Carriker and Mary Wooten of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit which prosecutes cases involving gang members and violent crimes, including homicides, robberies, kidnappings, rapes and narcotics trafficking.

Defendant Pleads Guilty in Violent Crime Spree

May 10, 2022 – A man scheduled to be tried this week for his involvement in a violent crime spree in 2018 pled guilty Tuesday to felony charges of murder, robbery and carjacking, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Marcus Brown was sentenced to 30 years in prison without the possibility for parole for second-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, and carjacking.

Three co-defendants, including one who was 14 at the time, are awaiting trial.

The two-day spree began shortly after 4 a.m. on Nov. 29, 2018, when a 55-year-old woman was shot in the face and robbed by a group of men as she arrived for work at a business in the 3800 block of South Mendenhall.

About an hour later, a 68-year-old man returning home from work was carjacked in his driveway on South Cox in the Cooper-Young neighborhood by two suspects armed with a handgun and an assault rifle.

The third incident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2018, at a service station in the 3600 block of Summer Avenue just east of Highland. Two vehicles, including the two-door vehicle carjacked the previous night, blocked the pickup truck of a customer who had pulled up to a pump.

As two gunmen got out and approached him, the pickup truck driver, Xavier Shotwell, 48, of Cordova, tried to drive away to safety. The gunmen opened fire, however, and killed him.

The vehicle from the carjacking was found a short time later, burning nearby at Highland and Orchi. About an hour later, Brown and the other suspects were arrested at Lamar and Kerr after they were stopped in a vehicle used during the crime spree.

The case this week was handled by Chief Prosecutor Theresa McCusker and Asst. Dist. Atty. Regina Lucreziano 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.

Boyfriend Indicted in Motel Stabbing Death

May 9, 2022 – A Whitehaven man who called police from a motel last year to tell them he had just killed his girlfriend has been indicted by a grand jury, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Derriontay Perry, 24, was indicted Thursday on one count of second-degree murder. Perry, who has more than a half dozen unrelated pending criminal charges, is being held on $2 million bond.

Investigators said Perry called 911 to report his girlfriend’s death shortly before 4 a.m. on June 5, 2021, from the Travelodge in the 1400 block of East Brooks Road.

He said he had gone to sleep following an argument and that he awakened to find his girlfriend, Kristie Orange, 25, holding a pillow over his face trying to smother him and threatening to stab him with a knife.

Perry said he easily overpowered her, put the pillow over her face and then stabbed her in the neck. Orange was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Her three young sons who also were in the room were not injured.

Perry was not at the hotel when police arrived, but he called 911 again and told police he was at a nearby location on Millbranch Road where he surrendered.

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

Customer Indicted in Murder of Wendy’s Employee

May 9, 2022 – A customer at a Raleigh-area fast food restaurant has been indicted on first-degree murder charges in the shooting death of an employee there last December, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Joshua Moore, 35, is being held in the Shelby County Jail.

Investigators said that around 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 18, 2021, Moore was in the drive-thru line at Wendy’s in the 3900 block of New Covington Pike. He was told at the window to pull forward and that his food would be brought to him.

Moore went inside the restaurant and began arguing with employee Terrance Edwards. Moore then walked out, went to his car and waited outside of the business.

When Edwards came outside Moore approached him, pulled a gun and shot him.

Edwards, 34, who was struck in the torso and the left thigh, was taken to a hospital where died a short time later. Moore was developed as a suspect after a tip to CrimeStoppers and was identified by several witnesses.

The shooting was captured on surveillance video.

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

Man Indicted in Carjacking, Murder

May 6, 2022 – A South Memphis man has been indicted in the carjacking and shooting death of a 50-year-old man in 2020, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Terry Allen Wilkins was indicted Thursday on first-degree felony murder, especially aggravated robbery, carjacking, and employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

Wilkins, who was 18 at the time, is being held without bond.

On Sept. 6, 2020, at around 12:30 a.m., police were called to the area of Gill Avenue and Pillow Street near South Parkway where they found Markel Dewayne Alexander in the street with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead by paramedics a short time later.

The victim’s red 2011 BMW coupe was stolen. The vehicle was found the next day in an alley near Lucas Place about two miles north of the crime scene.

Police believe multiple other suspects were involved in the crime, and the investigation into their roles is ongoing. Anyone with information 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 9.

Frayser Man Indicted in Shotgun Slaying

May 6, 2022 – A Memphis man has been indicted in the death of an acquaintance last year after they had words over the correct way to load the defendant’s sawed-off shotgun, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury on Thursday indicted 22-year-old Edwin Lorenzo Bailey on counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony. He is being held without bond in the Shelby County Jail.

The incident occurred around 3 a.m. on Nov. 9, 2021, in the front yard of a residence in the 1600 block of Winston Drive near North Watkins in Frayser. A resident there was waiting for his boss to arrive when Bailey, a neighbor, walked up and showed him a saw-off shotgun he was hoping to sell.

The neighbor’s boss, Richard Varnadoe, 42, drove up, joined the discussion and soon suggested Bailey shouldn’t be handling the shotgun since he apparently didn’t know how to load it properly.

As the resident turned and walked toward the side of his house, he said he heard a blast from the shotgun and saw Varnadoe fall to the ground. He said Bailey ran away briefly, but then returned and shot Varnadoe again.

Varnadoe, who was struck in the face and in the chest, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Bailey fled the city, but was arrested by federal marshals 10 days later in Detroit.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Carrie Bush of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 4 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 12 and in Criminal Court Division 4.

Driver Indicted in Five-Vehicle DUI Crash That Killed One, Injured Four Others

May 6, 2022 – A Memphis man was indicted Thursday in a 2020 drunken-driving crash involving five vehicles and six people, including a Bartlett woman who was killed and four others who were injured, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted 50-year-old Manuel DeJesus Funez-Lopez on counts of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, aggravated assault, drunken driving and reckless driving. His BAC was .133, crash investigators said.

He has been free on his own recognizance since the crash.

The crash happened shortly after 4 p.m. on March 17, 2020, when Funez-Lopez was travelling at a high rate of speed southbound on Jackson Avenue near Ronnie Avenue and struck the rear of a car driven by Andrea Neal, 28, of Bartlett.

The impact pushed her car into the northbound lanes of Jackson where it was struck by a northbound vehicle. Neal was killed and two people in the other vehicle were seriously injured.

Meanwhile, the SUV driven by Funez-Lopez continued southbound and caused another collision involving two more vehicles. A 56-year-old woman in one of those cars was seriously injured, as was Funez-Lopez.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Vanessa Murtaugh 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 Pleads Guilty in Rape, Robbery Scheme Targeting Young Women

May 4, 2022 – A Memphis man set for trial this week in Criminal Court has pled guilty to raping two women and robbing a third in separate incidents committed during a two-week period in 2015, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Terry Lee Coley, 28, was sentenced to 30 years in prison without the possibility for parole after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated rape and one count of aggravated robbery.

In two instances, Coley made contact with his victims on social media and told them his cousin would pick them up and drive them to a restaurant.

In one case, on Oct. 14, 2015, Coley himself picked up an 18-year-old Raleigh woman, but took her to a spot along Raleigh LaGrange Road and raped her in the car at gunpoint.

On Oct. 25, 2015, he told a 19-year-old woman he met on Instagram that his cousin ‘Carlos’ would pick her up and take her to meet him at a restaurant in the Cordova area. Instead, Coley himself picked her up, drove to an intersection in Frayser and robbed her at gunpoint.

In the third incident, on Oct. 28, 2015, Coley abducted a woman and her 2-year-old daughter at gunpoint while she was waiting for her female cousin in front of her home on Carnes in Orange Mound. He drove them to an apartment complex in the 6000 block of Summer Avenue where he raped the 18-year-old woman at gunpoint, as her baby lay next to her in the back seat of the car.

Coley was identified and arrested in November of that year.

The cases were handled this week by Asst. Dist. Attys. Lessie Rainey and Lauren Hutton.

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

ADA Hutton is with the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 2 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 9 (Mental Health Court) and in Criminal Court Division 2.

Motorist Sentenced in Pedestrian’s Death

     May 3, 2022 – A driver who appeared to be racing another car in traffic when he lost control and killed a pedestrian two years ago in the Parkway Village area was sentenced to four years in prison Monday, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

    The driver, Andrea Spencer Jr., 25, pled guilty in March to a felony count of reckless vehicular homicide. Criminal Court Judge Bobby Carter on Monday denied Spencer’s request for probation.

    The incident happened around 5 p.m. on April 15, 2020, last year when Spencer and motorist were driving at a high rate of speed going west on Winchester Road. Investigators said the cars were weaving through traffic, but that Spencer lost control just east of Goodlett Road, left the roadway, hit a light pole and then struck a pedestrian.

    The pedestrian, Breann Bonds, 23, pushed a friend out of the way before she was struck, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Two small children in the back seat of Spencer’s vehicle were not injured.

   After his guilty plea in March and while free on bond, Spencer was charged with filing a false offense report, claiming his car had been stolen after walking away from a one-vehicle accident. That case is pending.

   The vehicular homicide case was 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.

Former Fugitive Convicted in Kidnap, Sexual Assault of Restaurant Employee

April 29, 2022 - An East Memphis man who was a fugitive for nearly four years was convicted Friday of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a restaurant server in his home in 2014, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury convicted Kelvin Montgomery on counts of especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual battery. He remains in custody and will be sentenced next month.

Montgomery, 55, a self-employed appliance repairman, met the 35-year-old victim the evening of June 15, 2014, at an East Memphis restaurant where she worked. She agreed to have a drink with him, but said that when they got to his house on Willow Road he became violent.

The woman said Montgomery handcuffed, gagged and choked her before forcing her to have sex. She said she pretended to be unconscious and that when he fell asleep in the bed, she managed to escape and ran to a neighbor’s for help.

Montgomery was arrested five days later and was freed on $100,000 bond the next day. In July of 2016, he pled guilty in court to a series of criminal charges and received a 12-year sentence, but a judge gave him 30 more days of freedom before he had to surrender and begin his incarceration.

Instead of surrendering, however, Montgomery fled the jurisdiction and lived on a sailboat in an Orange Beach, Ala., marina under an assumed name until federal marshals captured him in June of 2017. An Arkansas woman who was with him had been reported missing by her family.

The woman said Montgomery made her use a false name, was abusive to her, and would not let her leave, but she declined to press charges.

Montgomery pled guilty in 2018 in an Alabama federal court to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (a fugitive from justice.) He was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, then was returned to the Shelby County Jail.

The trial this week was handled by Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit (SVU) and by Chief Prosecutor Carrie Bush of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 4.

The SVU prosecutes cases of rape, child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse of child victims, elder abuse and vulnerable adult abuse.

Vertical Team 4 prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 12 and in Criminal Court Division 4.

Convicted Ohio Rapist Found Guilty of Sexually Assaulting Memphis Girl

April 29, 2022 – A man on the Sex Offender Registry for a rape in Ohio was convicted here Thursday of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl at her aunt’s home in the Oakhaven area, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury convicted Rico Reed, 41, on a felony count of aggravated sexual battery. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month and is being held in the Shelby County Jail.

The incident occurred on Oct. 11, 2020, at a residence on Oak Shade Cove where the girl was visiting her aunt. She said she was asleep on a sofa when she was awakened by Reed who was fondling her.

The young girl told him to stop, and immediately texted her mother about what had happened. An older female cousin said the victim came into her room crying that evening and that when she asked what was wrong her young cousin showed her the text messages between her and her mother about the sexual assault.

Reed, a family friend from Toledo, Ohio, was convicted there of raping a 22-year-old woman in 2007 after forcing his way into her home. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The case this week was prosecuted by Asst. Dist. Attys. Dru Carpenter and Rob Steele.

ADA Carpenter is with 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 was created as an expansion of the multi-agency Child Protection Investigative Team or CPIT.

ADA Steele is with the DA’s Vertical Team 4 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 12 and in Criminal Court Division 4.

Memphis Defense Attorney Convicted of Stealing Client Settlement Funds

April 28, 2022 – A longtime Memphis attorney was convicted Thursday of stealing a client’s $150,000 check she was awarded in the settlement of a 2014 civil case, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Paul Springer was convicted on the felony count of theft of property over $60,000. He will be sentenced in June by Special Judge William Acree.

According to testimony in the Criminal Court trial this week, Springer represented a woman in a wrongful termination lawsuit against the city. The case settled with the city agreeing to pay the woman $150,000.

Springer’s fee was one-third of the settlement. After litigation costs were deducted from the client’s remaining share, she was to receive $90,000. Springer picked up the check from the City Attorney’s Office in March of 2014, but he never informed his client. Instead, he kept the full amount.

The client received a payment from the Tennessee Lawyers Fund for Client Protection which is financed by annual registration fees from attorneys licensed to practice in Tennessee.

If the judge orders restitution and she receives it from the defendant, that payment must be returned to the client protection fund.

Springer, who still faces theft charges involving another client, was permanently disbarred in 2018 by the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility. He was licensed in 2001.

The trial this week was handled by Chief Prosecutor Byron Winsett and Asst. Dist. Atty. Dennis Johnson of the District Attorney’s Public Corruption and Economic Crimes Unit.

Club Patron Guilty in Fatal Shooting

April 22, 2022 – A nightclub patron was convicted Thursday of firing at a crowd on the Summer Avenue club’s parking lot and killing another patron who was running for cover, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury convicted defendant Cederick Ivory, 24, of first-degree murder, which carries a sentence of life in prison.

The shooting occurred the night of Dec. 11, 2019, at the James Lounge in the 3100 block of Summer Ave. where an argument began inside the club and spilled out into the parking lot where a crowd had gathered.

Witnesses said Ivory began firing multiple rounds from a weapon called a “chopper,” sending those in the crowd running for cover between parked cars. Among them was Anthony William Travis, 27, who was struck in the side of his chest as he was running for safety. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident was captured on surveillance video.

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

Voting Case Dismissed by DA’s Office

April 22, 2022 – Pamela Moses will not be tried a second time on the felony charge of illegally registering to vote, Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich said Friday.

“Our original offer to the defendant Pamela Moses was a guilty plea to a misdemeanor and no time to serve. She rejected that offer and asked for a jury trial. At the conclusion of the week-long trial, the jury convicted her on the felony charge of false entry on permanent voter registration. She was taken into custody and spent 75 days in jail before Judge Ward granted her motion for new trial. In total, she has spent 82 days in custody on this case, which is sufficient. She is also permanently barred from registering to vote or voting in Tennessee as a result of her 2015 conviction for Tampering with Evidence. In the interest of judicial economy, we are dismissing her illegal registration case and her violation of probation.”

Ex-Boyfriend Convicted in Assault on Woman

April 21, 2022 – A Fox Meadows man was convicted Wednesday of attacking his former girlfriend at her apartment where she and her two young children were living, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich said.

A Criminal Court jury convicted defendant Darrick Hicks, 43, on felony counts of aggravated assault involving strangulation and theft of property over $1,000. He will be sentenced next month by Judge Chris Craft.

The 30-year-old victim said that around 2 a.m. on May 4, 2018, Hicks let himself into her apartment with a key he had refused to return when she stopped seeing him. She said he began asking her questions about things he saw on her phone and that he became angry, got on top of her and choked her by putting his forearm across her throat.

The woman said Hicks then pulled her by her hair and threatened to push her head through the wall. Hicks had her cell phone and her car keys, so the woman got her 3-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son and had to walk to a service station to call police.

When she got back to her apartment, she told officers that cash and other items had been taken. Hicks was arrested several days later.

The trial this week was handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Jamie Kidd of the District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit 8 which seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.

Woman Indicted in Vehicular Homicide; Victim Was Former Basketball Standout

April 19, 2022 – A 19-year-old woman was indicted Tuesday on vehicular homicide charges stemming from an incident last year in which her car struck a house, killing a man inside whose body was not discovered until some four hours later, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury returned the indictment against Miracle Renee Rutherford, alleging that she drove recklessly and created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury. She remains free on $30,000 bond.

Investigators said the crash occurred around 2:45 a.m. on June 5, 2021, as Rutherford was driving at a high rate of speed southbound on Horn Lake Road toward Shelby Drive in southwest Memphis.

Her car crossed two northbound lanes, left the road, continued through a yard and went airborne, striking the corner of a frame house in the 4500 block of Horn Lake.

Police responded, but there were no injuries reported at the crash scene. A woman in the house told police she lived there with her adult son, but that he was not home.

Several hours later at daylight, other family members arrived to help remove furnishings and debris from the crash site and discovered the body of the son, 45-year-old Leslie Galen Young. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Young was a former basketball standout at Hillcrest High School and for the UNC-Charlotte 49ers where he was named MVP in the 1999 C-USA Tournament. He also played professionally for 13 years in the United States and abroad.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. J. D. Hamblen of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 5 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 13 and in Criminal Court Division 9.

Driver Indicted in Fatal Crash

April 18, 2022 – A Memphis motorist has been indicted on vehicular homicide, drunken driving and other charges stemming from a two-vehicle crash in 2020 that killed the other driver, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Gerronn Powell, 40, on counts of vehicular homicide involving alcohol and recklessness, driving while intoxicated, and reckless driving. He is free on $75,000 bond.

Investigators said Powell was traveling at a high rate of speed on Danny Thomas Boulevard at Stage Road in Frayser when his SUV hit the driver’s side door of another vehicle as it pulled from a service station.

The driver of that vehicle, Ladarius King, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said Powell had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath and that he was unable to perform a field sobriety test as directed. Powell faces enhanced punishment if convicted because he has a prior conviction for driving under the influence of an intoxicant in 2016.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Kenya Smith of the District Attorney’s DUI Unit which prosecutes cases of vehicular homicide and DUI, and works with local law enforcement to reduce the number traffic fatalities and injuries in Memphis and Shelby County.