Suspect Indicted in Fatal DV Stabbings

Aug. 11, 2022 – A Bartlett man who fatally stabbed a woman he had dated and her teenage son after breaking into their Scenic Hills home two weeks ago has been indicted on murder charges, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Jose Alexis Murillo-Salgado, 42, was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated burglary. He was captured in Arkansas hours later and is in the Shelby County Jail on $2 million bond.

Witnesses said that shortly after 3 a.m. on July 28, 2022, Murillo-Salgado forced his way in at the victims’ home in the 2800 block of North Highland Road near Scenic Highway. He began arguing with Claudia Nunez, 36, who had wanted to end their relationship of several months.

Murillo-Salgado then went into the kitchen, grabbed a butcher knife and stabbed the woman’s 14-year-old son, Kevin Nunez, who had tried to intervene. He also stabbed the boy’s mother several times and then returned to his car and drove away.

Claudia Nunez was pronounced dead at the scene. Kevin Nunez was taken to a hospital where he died a short time later.

Memphis police issued a BOLO alert on Murillo-Salgado and the white Toyota Camry he was driving. Hours after the stabbings, at around 12:30 p.m., a trooper with the Arkansas State Police spotted the suspect on I-30 in Hope, Ark., some 245 miles southwest of Memphis.

The trooper followed Murillo-Salgado when he took an exit to a service station and arrested him on the parking lot without incident. He was picked up Tuesday by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and brought back to Memphis.

The case is being prosecuted by Asst. Dist. Atty. Cavett Ostner of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Unit which handles cases of assault and homicide committed by intimate partners.

Motorist Indicted in Whitehaven Shootings

Aug. 11, 2022 – A 22-year-old man captured on surveillance video shooting into another vehicle at an intersection in Whitehaven has been indicted in the death of a young man and the wounding of his aunt, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Jalen Hill was indicted on felony counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder involving serious bodily injury, and employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

He is being held in the Shelby County Jail without bond.

The shootings occurred around 3 p.m. on Oct. 9, 2021, when Hill pulled up next to another vehicle at a stoplight at the busy intersection of Boeingshire Road and Shelby Drive just west of Memphis International Airport.

Video captured by a Real-Time Crime Center pole camera showed Hill leaning out of the driver’s seat and shooting into the car next to his. A passenger in that car, Donquez Driver, 21, was struck six times and died from his wounds.

His 59-year-old aunt, who was in the driver’s seat, was struck one in the back and has undergone multiple surgeries.

Hill was developed as a suspect and was arrested two days later.

The case is being handled by Felony Asst. Stacy McEndree of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 6 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 15 and in Criminal Court Division 10.

Ex-Boyfriend Indicted in Mother’s Death; Left Dying Victim at Hospital ER Entrance

Aug. 10, 2022 – A man identified as the person who dropped off his critically wounded ex-girlfriend at a hospital emergency room last summer and drove away with their baby son in the car was indicted Tuesday in her death, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Barry Medlock, 27, on counts of second-degree murder and convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail.

An investigation showed that shortly before 3 p.m. on June 27, 2021, a silver car pulled up the emergency room of Regional One Health on Jefferson at North Dunlap where the driver dropped 23-year-old Marika Clark.

She had been shot in the neck and the legs and died in the hospital a short time later. Surveillance footage led investigators to Medlock, the victim’s former boyfriend and father of their 7-month-old son. Medlock was arrested four days later.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Justin Prescott of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Unit which prosecutes cases of domestic assault and homicide involving intimate partners.

Ex-boyfriend Convicted in Teen’s Murder

Aug. 7, 2022 – A Criminal Court jury deliberated about an hour Sunday before convicting a 25-year-old man in the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend whose body he left on a North Memphis street corner in 2020, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Amy Weirich.

Keedrin Coppage was convicted of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. He was automatically sentenced to life in prison for murder and will be sentenced later on the tampering conviction.

According to testimony, Coppage and 18-year-old Sabrina Nguyen had dated for about a year starting in the fall of 2018, but when she tried to end the relationship Coppage became angry and aggressive.

In December of 2019, he was arrested on several occasions for making threatening phone calls, assaulting Nguyen, and kidnapping her outside of 201 Poplar where she was going to seek an Order of Protection.

At about 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 2, 2020, witnesses saw Coppage pull up to the curb at Jackson Avenue and Maple Drive, remove her body from the trunk of the car, place it near the stop sign, and then drive away in her car. Police obtained neighborhood watch camera footage that confirmed these witnesses’ accounts

The medical examiner reported she had been stabbed 38 sharp-force injuries, including two fatal stab wounds.

At the time, Coppage had outstanding warrants for aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated stalking, and theft of property which was Nguyen’s car. He was arrested the day after the murder and admitted placing her body at the intersection and discarding the clothing he was wearing at that time.

The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Marianne Bell and Venecia Patterson of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Unit which prosecutes cases involving homicide and domestic assault committed by intimate partners.

Felon With Violent Past, Pending Cases, Convicted of Evading Police on I-240

Aug. 4, 2022 – A Memphis man who served nearly 20 years in prison for murder and who has pending cases for other violent offenses since his release was convicted Wednesday of trying to escape arrest on the interstate, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury convicted Anthony Carpenter, 43, on a felony count of intentionally evading arrest in a motor vehicle. He is set for sentencing on Aug. 30 and is being held in the Shelby County Jail.

Carpenter was arrested on May 3, 2019, on I-240 when he began driving in the emergency vehicle lane near Airways Boulevard to avoid a backup because of a traffic accident. Police working the accident signaled for him to pull over to the shoulder, which he did briefly before speeding away. He was caught a short time later when he was stopped by the traffic backup.

He was free on bond at the time on an aggravated assault charge involving a Raleigh-area car dealer who identified Carpenter, a former customer, as the person who shot him in the arm in February of 2019, on the dealership lot. The victim spent five days in the hospital and underwent seven hours of surgery. The case is pending in Criminal Court.

In January of this year, Carpenter was charged in Mississippi with shooting an off-duty Memphis police lieutenant outside his Olive Branch residence. Carpenter was arrested the following day at his home in Memphis where officers found an AR pistol and more than 200 rounds of ammunition.

Carpenter was convicted of second-degree murder for shooting a 19-year-old man in 1998, and served 19 years of a 23-year sentence. He was released in 2017.

The trial this week was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Robert Steele and Fredricka Brown of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 4 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 12 and in Criminal Court Division 4.

Frayser Man Indicted in Robbery-Murder Case

Aug. 3, 2022 – A Frayser man was indicted Tuesday on multiple felony counts stemming from the killing of one man and critical wounding of another in a robbery last year, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

William Demarcus Greene, 34, was indicted on first-degree murder in the perpetration of a felony, attempted first-degree murder involving serious bodily injury, two counts of especially aggravated robbery, employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony, and convicted felon in possession of a handgun.

He is being held without bond in the Shelby County Jail.

The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, 2021, at North Trezevant Street and Capewood Drive in Frayser where police found two wounded men in the roadway.

Jorge Nieto Maldonado, 24, of Mexico, was shot at least nine times and was pronounced dead at a hospital. Another man, 25, of Memphis also was shot multiple times, but survived his wounds.

Investigators said the two men were at a motel on Summer Avenue earlier that evening and had planned to sell some marijuana to someone they had met there. They followed the man, later identified as Greene, to the Frayser neighborhood where several other men helped Green rob them of a pistol, marijuana, and car keys.

Greene was identified as the one who shot them as they lay in the street.

He was developed as a suspect and was arrested on March 15 by the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force and by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Team.

The case is being handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Sam Winnig of the District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit 8 which seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.

Man Pleads Guilty to Child Rape; Sentenced to 30 Years No Parole

July 29, 2022 – A Binghampton man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison without parole after he admitted to sexually abusing a young girl for the past three years, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Dedrick Bell, 37, pled guilty in Criminal Court to the felony charge of rape of a child. He was arrested in July of last year when a 13-old-girl told her mother that Bell had been sexually assaulting her since she was age 10.

When confronted by the child’s mother, Bell admitted that he had been sexually abusing the girl in various locations around the house, and sometimes in the backyard or in the car, when the mother was not home.

The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Jermal Blanchard of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit (SVU) which prosecutes cases of child sexual abuse and 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).

Bond For Man Charged With Burning Dog Increased to $150,000 After Threats

July 29, 2022 – A Nutbush-area man jailed on animal cruelty charges for setting fire to his dog last month saw his bond increased to $150,000 after prosecutors played a tape in court on which he threatened to shoot reporters if they come to his home again, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Quishon Brown, 43, remains in the Shelby County Jail on felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and setting fire to personal property, and a misdemeanor count of assault.

The one-year-old female dog now known as Riona suffered fourth-degree burns over 60 percent of her body when she was doused with an accelerant and set on fire on June 20.

Brown was arrested on July 12 and when shown photos of the badly burned dog he said “I did good with her.” He told neighbors the previous day that whoever gave a surveillance video of the incident to the police and the media “is going to have their houses burned down.”

His $5,000 bond was revoked on July 22 when the court learned that he had another dog at home, a violation of his bond conditions. While in jail, Brown discussed his case in a recorded phone conversation with a woman at his home.

She said his address was on social media and that news reporters had knocked on the door, seeking a comment.

“You can shoot people when they come on your property,” Brown replied on the recording played in General Sessions Court on Wednesday. “You can shoot the reporter. Wait til I get out. I’m going to shoot them, and I’m going to tell them I’m going to shoot them.”

Judge Louis Montesi then set Brown’s bond at $150,000. Senior Felony Asst. Bryce Phillips said he will ask for a financial source hearing if Brown produces funds to make the bond.

Brown’s next court date is Wednesday Aug. 3.

Former Fugitive Convicted in Kidnap, Sexual Assault Sentenced to 37 Years

July 26, 2022 - An East Memphis man who was a fugitive for nearly four years before he was captured and convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault was sentenced Tuesday to 37 years in prison without parole, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan sentenced Montgomery to consecutive terms of 25 years for especially aggravated kidnapping and 12 years for aggravated sexual battery. He was convicted in a jury trial earlier this year.

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 said she agreed to have a drink with him, but 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, she managed to escape and run, still handcuffed, gagged and naked, 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. He was allowed to temporarily remain free on bond, but then failed to return to court as scheduled.

Instead of surrendering, Montgomery fled 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. She said Montgomery made her use a false name, was abusive to her, and would not let her leave, but she declined to press charges because she feared retaliation by him.

She said Montgomery once threw her overboard while they were sailing in the Gulf of Mexico more than a mile from shore. She said he left her fighting the waves for a period, before eventually helping her back onto the boat.

The woman and the Memphis victim both gave victim-impact statements at Tuesday’s sentencing hearing.

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 case 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.

DA Seeks to Have 2nd Teen Suspect Tried As Adult in Carjacking-Murder of Pastor

July 25, 2022 – The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office will seek to have a second 15-year-old suspect tried as an adult in last week’s carjacking and murder of Rev. Autura Eason-Williams, DA Amy Weirich said Monday.

A notice of intent to seek transfer is being submitted to have the case set on the Juvenile Court docket for a hearing. By law, juveniles between ages 14 and 17 who are charged with serious crimes are eligible for transfer to adult court.

Last week a 15-year-old was arrested and charged in the case. The second teen was arrested on Friday.

“Because of the facts, the serious nature of this case and this offender’s criminal history, I am seeking transfer of this case to adult court as well,” said DA Weirich.

Both teens have been detained and are charged with first-degree murder, murder in the perpetration of a robbery, carjacking, especially aggravated robbery, and employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

A report date for both is set for Aug. 1 in Juvenile Court. A transfer hearing is not expected until late August or September.

Argument That Ended in Woman’s Death Leads to Murder Indictment of Acquaintance

July 25, 2022 – A 65-year-old man has been indicted in the shooting death last year of a woman acquaintance following an argument outside her home in the Getwell/Park area, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

The grand jury indicted Perry Wayne Patrick on a count of first-degree murder. He is free on $125,000 bond.

The incident occurred shortly before 6 p.m. on Nov. 13, 2021, in the 4200 block of Fredericks Avenue where police were flagged down by the victim’s boyfriend. Investigators said Patrick argued with 47-year-old Angela Neely over a previous incident and that the argument became more heated.

Patrick then pulled a gun, pistol-whipped her and shot her in the neck. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead about an hour later. Patrick was arrested and charged three days later.

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

Tenant Indicted in Murder of Landlord

July 25, 2022 – A Whitehaven man has been indicted in the shooting death last year of his landlord who had been trying to evict him from a property for nonpayment of rent, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Robert Lee Collins III, 38, was indicted on counts of first-degree murder and convicted felon with a firearm. Collins is being held without bond.

Witnesses said Collins had been renting a small building in the 600 block of East Shelby Drive from Ernest Hatton, but that he was many months behind in rent and had failed to maintain the property. Collins worked on cars and often slept there.

Investigators said that when Hatton came to the site the afternoon of Nov. 16, 2021, Collins fired multiple gunshots at him. Hatton, 50, was struck more than a dozen times and was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later.

Collins walked up to police at the scene and said he shot Hatton. A witness told police that Collins said before the shooting that if Hatton came to see him that he “had something for him.”

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

‘Notorious’ Residence in Nutbush Closed as Public Nuisance

July 23, 2022 – A residence in the Nutbush area of northeast Memphis described by neighbors as “notorious and dangerous” was closed Friday as a public nuisance because of narcotics trafficking and violent crime, including two homicides, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Neighbors told the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit that the home at 1673 National St. is “a known crack house” where cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl was bought and sold.

On Friday Environmental Court Judge Patrick Dandridge (General Sessions Division 14) granted a temporary injunction petition filed by the District Attorney’s Office and the Memphis City Attorney’s Office.

A hearing is set for 10 a.m. on July 28 for the owners to show why the injunction should not be made permanent.

A resident of the home, Betty Pratt, aka Betty Davis, and the property’s owner, Marbella Investment, LLC, are listed as respondents in the petition.

Between February 2020 and June 2022 police have taken 15 reports at the residence for assaults, vandalism, overdoses and narcotics-related incidents. There also have been two homicides at the location.

Police have responded to 229 calls for service during that period within a half mile of 1673 National.

In May of this year, police said girl was playing with a dog outside the residence when a man walking by shot the dog, killing it, and then continued walking.

The residence is located less than a mile from three churches and Douglas High School.

The case filed by DA Weirich and City Atty. Jennifer Sink is being prosecuted by Asst. Dist. Atty. Paul Hagerman and by Asst. City Prosecutor William L. Gibbons Jr.

Car Crash Reveals Homicide Victim; Boyfriend Indicted in Woman’s Death

July 22, 2022 – A southeast Memphis man has been indicted in the New Year’s Day death of his girlfriend who was found in a car crash on Walnut Grove Road after she was shot in the head, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Bryndon Smith, 23, on a count of first-degree murder. He is free on $750,000 bond.

Investigators said they were called to the scene of a car crash shortly before 1 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2022, in the 8100 block of Walnut Grove Road about 1,000 feet east of Germantown Parkway.

A car had struck a utility pole, but a woman passenger inside, 20-year-old Alexis Cobb, was actually a gunshot victim of Smith, the driver. She was taken by private vehicle to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Smith said they had been arguing in the car earlier and that a pistol he was handling accidentally discharged, striking her in the side of the face. He said he moved her to the passenger side and that while driving to a hospital he crashed into a utility pole.

The case is being handled by the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Unit.

Man Googles Sentence for Robbery Days Before Carjacking Victim

July 22, 2022 – A Mississippi man pled guilty Thursday to stealing a Dodge Charger at gunpoint in 2019 after responding to the owner’s online ad offering it for sale, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Xavier Young, 29, from Benton, Miss., pled guilty to carjacking in Criminal Court and was sentenced to 7.2 years. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail on a similar case pending in Texas.

Young responded to a Craigslist ad placed by an Arkansas car dealer and arranged to meet with him on July 29, 2019, at the Southgate Shopping Center on South Third in Memphis. While taking test drive, however, Young pulled a gun, ordered the owner out of the car and drove off.

Young, who used a false name, was developed as a suspect and was arrested in February of 2020 in Richland, Miss., while driving a Lexus that had been stolen at gunpoint from a seller five days earlier in Dallas. He is facing criminal charges in both locations.

Shortly before the Memphis incident, Young searched the internet by cell phone for information on how much time a robbery charge carries, how to block vehicle GPS tracking devices and “how to drain a PayPal account.”

The case was handled by 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.

Jury Convicts Man in Motel Lobby Murder

July 22, 2022 – A 35-year-old man was convicted Thursday of shooting another man to death in 2018 after they had words in the lobby of a motel on America Way, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A Criminal Court jury convicted Travis Haynes, aka Travis Cleveland, on counts of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

He is being held without bond and will be sentenced next month.

The incident occurred at around 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 10, 2018, at the Garden Inn at American Way and Lamar where witnesses said Haynes bumped into Jeremy Robinson, 30, at the entry door to the lobby, leading to a confrontation.

Haynes pulled a pistol and began shooting, striking Robinson at least nine times. He was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders.

Witnesses gave police a description of Haynes who was found walking near the motel and was taken into custody. He gave police a statement about the confrontation with Robinson.

The case was prosecuted by Chief Prosecutor Paul Hagerman and Felony Asst. Paige Munn of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies & Narcotics Prosecution Unit which handles cases involving violent crimes committed by gang members, homicides, robberies, kidnappings, rapes, and narcotics trafficking.

DA Seeks to Have Teen Suspect Tried As Adult in Carjacking-Murder of Pastor

July 21, 2022 – The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office will seek to have a 15-year-old suspect tried as an adult in Monday’s carjacking and murder of Rev. Autura Eason-Williams, DA Amy Weirich said Thursday.

A notice of intent to seek transfer is being submitted to have the case set on the Juvenile Court docket for a hearing. By law, juveniles between ages 14 and 17 who are charged with serious crimes are eligible for transfer to adult court.

“Due to the facts of this case and this offender’s criminal history, I am seeking transfer of this case to adult court,” said DA Weirich.

The teen suspect is charged with first-degree murder, murder in the perpetration of a robbery, carjacking, especially aggravated robbery, and employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

A report date is set for Aug. 1 in Juvenile Court. A transfer hearing is not expected until late August or September.

Driver Indicted in DUI-Related Fatal Crash

July 21, 2022 – A motorist who struck and killed a pedestrian in 2020 on Park Avenue in Orange Mound has been indicted on criminal charges including drunken driving, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted Dennis Lloyd, 50, on counts of vehicular homicide involving drunkenness and recklessness, drunken driving, and reckless driving. He is free on $50,000 bond.

The incident occurred around 5 a.m. on June 3, 2020, when the pickup truck Lloyd was driving struck 34-year-old Devin Deaner as he was crossing Park Avenue at Haynes.

Lloyd said he stopped and attempted to perform CPR, but that an unidentified person nearby began yelling at him and fired a shot. Lloyd ran to a nearby store for safety and called police.

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

Investigators said Lloyd did poorly on a field sobriety test and registered a BAC of .101.

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

Whitehaven Man Indicted in Homicide Of Woman Found Shot Under His Truck

July 21, 2022 – A Whitehaven man has been indicted in the January death of a woman whose body was found underneath his unoccupied pickup truck parked at a strip mall on Winchester Road near South Mendenhall, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

A grand jury indicted 34-year-old Christian Pitts on counts of first-degree murder and convicted felon in possession of a handgun. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail on $200,000 bond.

The incident occurred around 3 a.m. on Jan. 15, 2022, in the 5100 block of Winchester Road where an area resident reported hearing gunshots. Police found the body of Vonnie Payne, 34, partially under a white pickup truck owned by Pitts. Payne was shot more than a dozen times.

A witness described the shooter and told police which way he was walking, leading to the arrest of Pitts less than a mile away.

Pitts said he was sleeping in his truck when he heard a noise. Pitts said he got out and struggled with a woman who was underneath his truck, and that he then “blacked out.”

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

Man Pleads Guilty in Harbor Town Slaying

July 20, 2022 – A 25-year-old man pled guilty today in the 2017 shooting death of a woman in the kitchen of her residence in Harbor Town on Mud Island, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Kurtrell Williams pled guilty in Criminal Court to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison without the possibility for parole.

Susan Grissom, 56, was shot and killed by an intruder last Nov. 7, 2017, in the kitchen of her home on Island Drive. She was robbed of cash and a bank card which later was found discarded in the 4300 block of Mendenhall.

An attempt to use the bank card at a gas station enabled investigators to obtain a still shot which was released to the public. Williams was developed as a suspect and was arrested three days later at a residence in the 3800 block of Brighton in northeast Memphis.

The case was handled by Alanda Dwyer and Karen Cook, chief prosecutors of the DA’s Special Prosecution Unit which seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.