Out on Bond, Alleged Suspect Kills Memphis Teen in Crime Spree

Police investigate the scene of a shooting at Poplar Ave. and Hawthorne St. in Memphis, Tenn., on Sept. 7, 2022. Brad Vest/Getty Images

A 20-year-old man’s alleged crime spree in Memphis, Tennessee, on Feb. 11 culminated in the death of a teenager, police said.

The suspect, Courdarion Craft, had been out on a $100,000 bond for attempted murder charges for a crime committed last year. He was apprehended following a city-wide manhunt.

Early in the morning, the Memphis Police Department responded to a carjacking incident in which Mr. Craft allegedly stole a vehicle from a woman outside of a church. The day’s events quickly spiraled as investigators soon linked this incident to a series of crimes across the city, all believed to be perpetrated by the same individual.

Officers responded to a separate location where the suspect went to a store and allegedly killed 18-year-old Fares Shihab outside of the store where he was working, before Mr. Craft allegedly fired shots at two more locations and injured two females.

Law enforcement agencies issued a city-wide alert, urging anyone with information to contact the authorities. By the afternoon, at 3:43 p.m. after a brief but intense foot pursuit, the suspect was captured, police said.

Mr. Craft has been charged with first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, carjacking, two counts of aggravated child abuse, and two counts of evading arrest.

Suspect Was on Bond

The day’s events have cast a spotlight on the judicial system’s bond practices as Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C J” Davis expressed her condolences to the victims’ families.

Ms. Davis said in a statement that Mr. Craft had been recently released on a $100,000 bond for charges including criminal attempt first-degree murder and criminal attempt especially aggravated robbery.

“My heart aches for the victim’s families and those affected by these senseless acts of violence,” Ms. Davis said. “Through the hard work and swift action of Memphis Police Officers, additional incidents were undoubtedly prevented.”

This incident has prompted a larger discussion about the balance between the right to a fair bail process and the need to protect the community from individuals who pose a significant threat.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said in a statement that the suspect had his case dismissed on Friday, Feb. 9, two days prior to the deadly shooting, after he failed to appear in court for a preliminary hearing.

“It is routine practice that we dismiss the case but promptly refer it to the grand jury for an indictment,” Mr. Mulroy said in a statement. “It’s a legal requirement that all defendants have the right to be present during their preliminary hearing. However, it’s important to point out that when cases are dismissed—they are not dropped—and it does not signify the end of the case.”

Mr. Mulroy said his office “sought to file” a bond revocation after Mr. Craft failed to appear in court and requested his bond be revoked for the new charges.

“After the Courdarion Craft incident, we received inquiries about the bond that had been established,” Mr. Mulroy said in a follow-up statement. “It’s important to clarify that our office does not set bonds. This responsibility lies with judicial commissioners and judges. However, we can recommend that bonds be revoked, as we did in Craft’s case. Today, our efforts were successful, and a judge has revoked all of Craft’s bonds, ensuring that he remains in jail.”

Similar Incident

This is not the first instance in Tennessee of a suspect with a violent criminal background being released and then committing further serious offenses.

This situation parallels an incident in Nashville, Tennessee, in November, when 18-year-old college freshman Jillian Ludwig was struck and killed by a stray bullet allegedly fired by Shaquille Taylor.

Mr. Taylor, like the suspect in Memphis, has a significant criminal record and had been released from custody. Mr. Taylor had been declared mentally unfit to stand trial in another shooting incident.

In the Nashville case, District Attorney Glenn Funk said the issue lay on the mental state of the defendant.

Mr. Funk said Mr. Taylor could not be involuntarily committed in Tennessee after he was declared unfit to stand trial and no other option existed than to dismiss the case. Because doctors did not find Mr. Taylor met the standards for involuntary commitment, he was released from custody on May 19, 2023.