Gang Member Convicted in Murders of Pair Found Dead in Cordova Park

July 17, 2022 – A Cordova man was convicted on all counts Friday in the 2018 shooting deaths and robberies of two acquaintances whose bodies were found in the front seat of a car in Fletcher Creek Park, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury convicted Juanyai Walls on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of especially aggravated robbery. He automatically received two life sentences for the murders and will be sentenced next month on the robbery convictions.

According to testimony in the week-long trial, Walls and several fellow members of the Piru Bloods gang arranged to meet with the two victims in the early-morning hours of Feb. 3, 2018, with a plan to rob them of two rifles they had for sale.

Hours later, shortly before 10 a.m., visitors at Fletcher Creek Park in Cordova found the victims – Devonte Taylor and Jereme Jones, both 19 – dead in the front seat of a vehicle. Both were killed by multiple gunshots from two different-caliber weapons.

Three co-defendants also were charged in the case, including Kentrell Spight, 22, who pled guilty last month and was sentenced to 35 years in prison without the possibility for parole. Two other defendants are awaiting trial.

The trial this week was handled by Felony Assts. William Cranford and Paige Munn of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit which prosecutes cases involving violent crimes committed by gang members, homicides, robberies, kidnappings, rapes, and narcotics trafficking.

Man Indicted in Homicide at Raleigh Motel

     July 14, 2022 – A Raleigh man has been indicted in the fatal shooting of a teen acquaintance last year during an argument in the parking lot of a motel on Old Austin Peay Highway, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

    Ezekiel McClain, 25, was indicted by a grand jury on a count of first-degree murder. He is being held without bond.

   The shooting occurred around 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2021, at the Jackson Heights Hotel in Raleigh where McClain was living with his parents. Investigators said McClain confronted 19-year-old Deterrio Brown in the parking lot and that as the two argued McClain pulled a gun and shot Brown.

   The victim was pronounced dead when first responders arrived a short time later. McClain told police he shot Brown after the victim struck him in the eye.

   The case is being handled by Senior Felony Asst. Danielle McCollum and Asst. Dist. Atty. Tanisha Johnson 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 Indicted in Motel Room Shooting

July 12, 2022 – A Memphis man has been indicted in the shooting death of an acquaintance last year in a Whitehaven motel room, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted John Michael Glenn, 30, on a count of first-degree murder. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail on $500,000 bond.

The shooting occurred around 12:10 a.m. on Nov. 17, 2021, at the Motel 6 on East Brooks Road where police found 34-year-old Joshua Stittiams on a bed and unresponsive.

He had been shot in the neck, shoulder and left hand. Paramedics pronounced him dead a short time later.

Video surveillance and witness statements led to Glenn being arrested and charged in the homicide.

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

Turner Sentenced to Life Plus 25 Years In Lorenzen Wright Murder and Conspiracy

July 8, 2022 - A Collierville man convicted in the 2010 shooting death of former Memphis NBA star Lorenzen Wright was sentenced Friday to life in prison, plus 25 years for related convictions, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Billy Ray Turner, 51, is a landscape business owner and close friend of Sherra Wright, who 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.

Turner was convicted in March of premeditated first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and attempted first-degree murder. On Friday, Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee sentenced him to life in prison for the murder, and 25 years each for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

The 25 year sentences are to be served concurrently with each other, but consecutive to the life sentence. Turner also is serving a 16-year sentence on a 2019 guilty plea to convicted felon in possession of a weapon.

His total sentence is life plus 41 years.

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.

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.

Customer Indicted in Restaurant Slaying

July 8, 2022 – A Memphis man was indicted Thursday in the fatal shooting last year of another customer at a Millington restaurant where they had been involved in an altercation earlier in the evening, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Juston McKnight, 30, on a count of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is being held on $1 million bond.

The incident began around 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2021, at Margaritas on U.S. Highway 51 in Millington when McKnight began arguing with waiters about his bill. As McKnight got louder and went into the restaurant’s kitchen area, another customer, 55-year-old Timothy Carver of Munford, intervened and removed McKnight from the restaurant.

Carver and several members of his party then went out to the patio to relax, but about 30 minutes later McKnight returned with a handgun and fired numerous shots at Carver and fled on foot.

Carver was struck multiple times in the chest and in his left leg, and was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived a short time later.

When he was arrested the following day, McKnight told officers, “If he had not pushed and hit me, I would not have killed him.”

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

Suspect Indicted in Double Murder; Fugitive Captured in Operation North Star

July 7, 2022 – A Memphis fugitive charged in the 2020 shootings of four people in a car in East Memphis has been indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and other felony counts, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Trevon Harris, 22, was among 122 fugitive violent felons arrested in Operation North Star, a multi-agency 30-day roundup headed by the U.S. Marshals Service. The operation announced this week also included fugitive roundups in Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

Harris, who was arrested by the task force in June, has been indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. He is being held without bond. A second suspect is being sought.

The shootings occurred at around 11 p.m. on May 7, 2020, in the 4000 block of Barron Avenue just east of Getwell Road where a bullet-riddled car in which the victims’ were travelling had crashed into a parked vehicle.

Two passengers were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds, including Tyrell Jones, 15, and Steven Goggins, 18. Two other teens were taken to hospitals for treatment.

Investigators said the four teens were returning from a service station on Getwell near Rhodes Avenue when the driver noticed another vehicle closely following them with its headlights on high-beam.

The occupants of that vehicle then opened fire on the four teens, causing their vehicle to crash into a parked car. The shooting suspects then drove off at a high rate of speed.

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

Home Invader Sentenced to 100+ Years in Prison

July 2, 2022 – A man convicted in a Berclair-area home-invasion attack that included six victims and 22 felony offenses was sentenced Friday to more than 100 years in prison, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Giorgio Lakeith Jennings, 33, was convicted last November on six counts of aggravated rape, five counts of aggravated robbery, three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of facilitation aggravated assault, three counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated burglary, and one count of employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft sentenced him to a total of 132 years in prison, including 126 years without the possibility for parole. In addition, Jennings will be on the Violent Sex Offender Registry for life and will be on Community Supervision for Life.

The incident occurred on Jan. 17, 2011, in a home in the 4300 block of Owen Road in northeast Memphis when Jennings and two unidentified men armed with guns forced their way inside.

Three women, ages 21 to 25, were sexually assaulted; two male victims, ages 21 and 26, were shot in their right hands; and a 25-year-old man was pistol whipped in the attack.

The assailants stole items that included two video-game systems, various knives, a bow, a spear, and several medieval-type swords.

Jennings was identified as a suspect by DNA and by some of the stolen property which was found in the bedroom of his home. An arrest warrant was issued for him in 2014. Jennings was arrested three years later in St. Louis where he was in jail on another crime.

Jennings also has a sexual assault case pending in Las Vegas.

John Doe warrants have been issued for the unidentified suspects in the case based on DNA evidence.

The case here was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Abby Wallace and Leslie Byrd of the District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit 8 which seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.

Cousins Convicted in North Memphis Murder

July 1, 2022 – Two cousins were convicted Friday in the 2018 shooting death of a 27-year-old man following an argument in outside of a North Memphis convenience store, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury found Marcus Green, 43, guilty of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony, and convicted felon with a firearm.

His cousin and codefendant, Deonta Baskin, 44, was convicted of first-degree murder and as a convicted felon with a firearm. He was convicted in 2007 in an unrelated attempted-murder case and served 10 years of a 24-year sentence.

Baskin was paroled in 2017, a year before he was arrested on the North Memphis murder. Prosecutors plan to seek a sentence of life without parole for Baskin when he is sentenced later by Judge Lee Coffee. Green will have a minimum sentence of life in prison.

Following a weeklong trial, the cousins were convicted of killing 27-year-old Marceles Scurlock in the late afternoon of May 23, 2018, following an argument outside a store in the 1600 block of Oakwood Street.

Green also fired at the victim’s girlfriend as she ran inside the store for safety.

Video surveillance showed the three men arguing and Scurlock trying to flee. Baskin grabbed and held him as Green punched Scurlock in the head and pistol whipped him.

Baskin told police that he began firing numerous times when he was shot in the side, apparently by accident by his cousin Green. The video showed Scurlock fall in the street and Baskin firing more shots as he walked away.

Scurlock, who was struck 15 times, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The case was handled by Chief Prosecutor Alanda Dwyer and by Asst. Dist. Atty. Jimmy Thomas of the District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit which seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.

Man Indicted in Christmas Eve Murder

July 1, 2022 – A North Memphis man has been indicted in the Christmas Eve shooting death of an apartment resident and the theft of his car which later was found wrecked a mile from the suspect’s home, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted 20-year-old Eric Alao Alvarez on counts of first-degree murder in the perpetration of a felony and especially aggravated robbery. He is being held without bond in the Shelby County Jail.

The incident began around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2021, when Juan Castillo, 41, was arriving home at the Cedar Creek Apartments on Steve Road near Prescott and I-240 in South Memphis.

Apartment surveillance video showed a man later identified as Alvarez approach Castillo, order him out of his car and then shoot him several times. Castillo died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Alvarez is seen driving away in Castillo’s vehicle, a 2012 Kia Sorrento, which was found wrecked and abandoned about 45 minutes later on Rosamond Avenue at North Highland, about a mile from an address on Lyndale Avenue that Alvarez has listed as his residence.

A handgun believed to have been used in the murder and Castillo’s identification were found in the abandoned vehicle. Alvarez was arrested the following day at a home in southeast Memphis.

The case is being handled by Felony Asst. Danielle McCollum and Asst. Dist. Atty. Regina Lucreziano of the District Attorney’s Vertical Prosecution Unit 1 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 7 (Veteran’s Court) and in Criminal Court Division 1.

Nightclub Patron Indicted in Fatal Shooting

July 1, 2022 – A 26-year-old man who was involved in a violent altercation last fall with other patrons of a Hickory Hill nightclub has been indicted in the death of one man and the critical wounding of another, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Keython Johnson 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 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 22, 2021, inside the Indulge Lounge on Winchester Road near the Hickory Ridge Mall. Witnesses said Johnson and another customer, Lawrence ‘Jimmy’ Williams, 49, got into an argument that quickly became physical.

Johnson then pulled a gun and shot Williams several times, striking him in the back, chest, stomach, and both arms. Witnesses said Johnson fired some of the shots as he stood over Williams who had fallen to the floor. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A friend of Williams’ standing nearby was shot in the left arm and left leg and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Johnson was identified as the shooter and was arrested at a hospital where he was treated for gunshots to both legs.

Witnesses said Johnson was the only one with a gun that night.

The case is being prosecuted by Chief Prosecutor Stephanie Johnson of the District Attorney’s Vertical Unit 2 which handles cases in General Sessions Division 9 (Mental Health Court) and in Criminal Court Division 2.

Trafficked Victim Gets Expungement

June 30, 2022 – A Memphis woman is the first person in Shelby County to have criminal convictions expunged because they were related to her status as a victim of human trafficking, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Citing a statute enacted in 2019 by the Tennessee General Assembly, the woman applied for the expungements of six misdemeanor convictions, including three for prostitution and three for theft. Two arrests for pedestrian soliciting rides on a roadway also were expunged.

Normally, the law allows for expungement of only two criminal convictions.

Prosecutors approved the expungement petition after reviewing the woman’s criminal history and the sworn statement she submitted regarding how she was forced to engage in criminal activity against her will. The petition then was granted by a judge.

None of the offenses involved violence, a deadly weapon, threats, or injuries to victims. Those offenses are not eligible for expungement under the law.

This is the first such expungement in Shelby County and also is believed to be the first in the state.

DA Weirich added, “Giving people a fresh start is one of the best parts of our job - particularly victims of human trafficking. Our prostitution-diversion program - Lives Worth Saving - and this legislation recognize that victims of human traffickers, are not criminals.”

Fugitive in Motel Murder Found, Indicted

June 30, 2022 – A Memphis man who served part of a six-year sentence for a fatal shooting in 2016 has been indicted in the April killing of a man at a motel in southeast Memphis, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Michael Ray Tillman, 24, was secretly indicted last week on first-degree murder charges three days after he was taken into custody as a fugitive in Bismarck, N.D. The grand jury also indicted him as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

He was returned to Memphis and booked into the Shelby County Jail Wednesday, which allowed the indictment to be made public. He is being held on $1 million bond.

Tillman is accused in the fatal shooting of Jamon Ueal, 28, of Cordova, shortly after 7 a.m. on April 18 this year at the Garden Inn in the 3400 block of American Way.

Investigators said surveillance video showed a vehicle pull up to the motel and the four occupants – two men and two women – get out. The driver, identified as Tillman, yelled at the other male passenger who walked toward another car nearby.

Tillman then fired several shots at the man, identified as Ueal, who dropped to the ground. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds.

In 2016 Tillman was charged in the shooting death of 51-year-old Willie Presley in the 1400 block of Woodward St. in South Memphis. He pled guilty in 2019 to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison, which included credit for three years he was in jail while awaiting trial. Tillman’s sentence expired in May of 2020.

The new homicide 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.

Milan Defendant Convicted in 2016 Murder

TRENTON, Tenn. - June 30, 2022 – A Milan, Tenn., man was convicted Wednesday in a 2016 home-invasion shooting in which a man was killed and his girlfriend was shot 11 times and critically injured, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Amy Weirich whose office was appointed to prosecute the case.

Uel Pearson, 40, was convicted on counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

Circuit Court Judge Clayburn Peeples automatically sentenced Pearson to life in prison for the murder.

The crime occurred in the early-morning hours of Oct. 11, 2016, when Pearson and a codefendant forced their way into a home in Milan and shot Rontavious McKinley, 22, and his girlfriend multiple times.

McKinley was pronounced dead at the scene. His girlfriend survived, but has had to undergo multiple surgeries for her many gunshot wounds.

Pearson had been at the home earlier visiting with his girlfriend who also lived there, but he and McKinley got into a heated argument before he left. He and his codefendant had their faces covered when they attacked the couple.

Codefendant Lillo Harrell, 34, pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He also received additional time for violation of probation.

The case was prosecuted by Shelby County Asst. Dist. Attys. Chris Lareau and Brad Reasonover who were appointed by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference.

Dist. Atty. Gen. Frederick Agee of the 28th Judicial District that includes Milan took office in 2020. He recused himself from the case because of a conflict.

Man Indicted in Shooting Death Of Child in Booster Seat

June 28, 2022 – A North Memphis man who fired a gun into a mini-van during an argument last year has been indicted for the death of a 4-year-old boy who was struck in the chest as he sat in his booster seat inside the van, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Terrell J. Woods, 42, on counts of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. He is free on a $500,000 bond.

The incident occurred on April 3, 2021, as the boy’s father drove up to a residence in the 1000 block of West Lexington Circle to drop off a friend. Woods walked up to the vehicle and began arguing with the passenger, shouting “Y’all been hating on me!”

Woods then pulled a gun and began shooting into the van. He missed the man he was trying to hit, but one of the bullets struck young Tavius Taylor Jr. in the chest. The small boy was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit (SPU) which prosecutes cases involving the most vulnerable victims in our community. The SVU prosecutes cases of rape, child sexual and severe physical abuse, and elder and vulnerable adult abuse.

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

Man Indicted in Kidnap-for-Ransom Case That Ended With Victim’s Murder

June 28, 2022 – A 44-year-old man has been indicted on murder and other criminal charges related to the abduction of a Mississippi man who was held for ransom and eventually killed, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Alfonzo Buford of felony counts of first-degree murder, murder in the perpetration of aggravated kidnapping, especially aggravated kidnapping involving ransom and especially aggravated kidnapping involving serious bodily injury.

Buford is free on $300,000 bond.

The incident began on Jan. 1, 2021, in Greenwood, Miss., where resident Broderick Moore, 40, was last seen. His wife said he called her hours later around midnight and told her to put a large sum of money and marijuana in a trash bag and leave it by a dumpster at a gas station on South Mendenhall.

When she did so the following day, a man approached her and told her to wait at a nearby fast-food restaurant where her husband would contact her. She followed his instructions, but did not hear from her husband.

Meanwhile, a workman entered a vacant home on Flowering Peach Drive about a half-mile away for a job and discovered Moore’s body bound with duct tape. He had been shot two times in the head.

Surveillance videos and other evidence pointed to Buford and led to his arrest and charging two days later. The defendant, who gave police several different accounts of the incident, was known to the victim and his wife.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Joseph Griffith of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies and Narcotics Prosecution Unit (CSNPU) which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 8 (Drug Court) and in Criminal Court Division 6.

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

Man Indicted in Shooting Deaths Of His Father and Grandmother

June 27, 2022 – A 21-year-old man who notified police last year that he had just discovered the bodies of his father and grandmother in the home they all shared has been indicted on two counts of first-degree murder, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury also indicted defendant Andre Christopher Jones on two counts of employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony. He is being held without bond in the Shelby County Jail.

Police investigators said that shortly after midnight on Sept. 12, 2021, Jones reported in a 911 call that he had just found his father, Ronald Jones, 53 and his grandmother, 73-year-old Martha Jones, dead in their home in the 1400 block of Amarillo Street near Cherokee Park.

The first officer responded within a minute and reported he smelled gunsmoke in the home and noted there was no sign of a break-in.

He said the defendant told him he had made a trip to a nearby store and that he discovered the bodies upon his return. Video from neighborhood security cameras, however, showed no one entering or leaving the home during that time frame.

Investigators found in the defendant’s bedroom live ammunition matching shell casings near the body. They also found a handgun with blood on it and an empty magazine.

The grandmother’s body was in the hallway and the father’s was in a bedroom. Both had been shot at least a dozen times.

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

Third Shooter Pleads Guilty in Murder Case

June 27, 2022 – The third of three teen homicide defendants has pled guilty to killing one man and wounding another in 2018 after opening fire on them near Shelby Drive and Riverdale Road in southeast Memphis, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Christian Key, now 21, pled guilty Thursday in Criminal Court to second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, and was sentenced 20 years in prison without the possibility for parole.

The incident occurred the night of March 28, 2018, when victims Christopher Smith and his cousin, both 23, began looking for the cousin’s vehicle that had just been stolen from a service station in southeast Memphis.

They became suspicious when a car with the three defendants drove slowly by with the occupants staring at them.

Convinced the three were somehow involved in the auto theft, Smith and his cousin began following the vehicle as it headed north on Riverdale. When the defendants turned onto Cognac Cove, they turned around so their vehicle was facing the car that was following them.

At that point, Jalen Bell, 19, his brother Key, 17, and Demerrick Porter, 18, jumped out and began shooting, killing Smith with two shots to the head and wounding his cousin in the leg.

The three defendants soon were developed as suspects, and all admitted firing at the victims. Porter was convicted in trial last year and is serving a 38-year prison sentence on second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

Bell pled guilty in March to second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder and was sentenced to 28 years without parole.

The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Stephen Ragland and Jen Morris of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies and Narcotics Prosecution Unit which prosecutes cases involving gang members and violent crimes, including homicides, aggravated robberies, kidnappings, rapes, attempted murders, and narcotics trafficking.

Mother Indicted in Baby Son’s Murder

June 26, 2022 – A Bartlett woman has been indicted on murder charges stemming from the 2020 death of her 2-year-old son who had sustained multiple internal injuries, broken ribs and bruising, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Keianna Hatchett, 27, was indicted on counts of first-degree murder in the perpetration of aggravated abuse of a child under 8 and first-degree murder in the perpetration of aggravated neglect of a child under 8.

The grand jury indictment was returned earlier this month and became public when she was taken into custody on Friday. She is being held on $750,000 bond.

At around 11 a.m. on Dec. 1, 2020, Hatchett notified police that she had just found her baby son, Kingston Young, unresponsive in a bedroom. First responders pronounced the boy dead soon after their arrival.

Hatchett told police they had spent the night at her boyfriend’s apartment on Ridge Drive near Riverdale Road and East Raines Road where the boy slept on a floor mattress in a spare bedroom. She said he had thrown up just before bedtime and that she had checked on him throughout the night.

The following morning she awakened her boyfriend and told him she had found her son face down on the floor and unresponsive.

Investigators on the scene noted bruises on the child’s chin and forehead, and scratches on his stomach and back. An autopsy later showed both healing and recent multiple injuries, including internal hemorrhaging, broken ribs, a liver laceration, and head trauma.

The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit which prosecutes cases involving the most vulnerable in our community, including rape, sexual abuse and severe physical abuse of children, and elder abuse and vulnerable adult abuse.

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

Babysitter Convicted of Raping Child

June 25, 2022 – A jury Friday deliberated just 20 minutes before finding a north Shelby County man guilty of sexually molesting a 7-year-old girl he was babysitting for family friends in 2019, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Travis Ruzicha (aka Ruzicka), 22, of Drummonds was convicted of rape of a child and aggravated sexual battery after a four-day trial. Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft revoked his bond and set sentencing for August.

The incidents occurred July 21-22 in 2019 at a home in Memphis where Ruzicha, a family friend, was babysitting the young girl. When her mother returned her daughter told her that Ruzicha had kissed her and touched her inappropriately several times throughout the day in different parts of the house.

The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Lessie Rainey and Regina Lucreziano.

ADA Rainey is with the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit which prosecutes cases involving vulnerable victims, including rape, sexual abuse and severe physical abuse of child victims. The SVU was created as an expansion of the multi-agency Child Protection Investigative Team (CPPIT.)

ADA Lucreziano is with 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 Who Fired Into Group of Teens Indicted on Murder, Other Felony Counts

June 24, 2022 – A 38-year-old man who fired into a group of teens gathered near his porch in February south of Downtown has been indicted on first-degree murder and other felony counts, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Marcus D. Orr on one murder count, three counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony, and one count of convicted felon with a handgun.

Orr, who was convicted of aggravated assault in 2008, is being held on $150,000 bond in the Shelby County Jail.

The shooting occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2022, in the 400 block of Ratliff Lane near South Danny Thomas Boulevard where a small group of teens was gathered near Orr’s porch.

When Orr came out of his apartment he got into an argument with one of the teens. He then pulled a pistol from his waistband and began firing, sending the boys and girls running for cover.

One member of the group, Damien Smith Jr., 15, was struck in the back and collapsed near the sidewalk. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Three others – ages 14, 15, and 17 – escaped uninjured.

The case is being handled by Senior Felony Asst. Danielle McCollum 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.