MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The family of Latarica Stripling sang through their sorrow during a vigil Tuesday night outside the hair salon the slain mother owned.

The 32-year-old was shot dead Thursday night outside the Crescent Bluff Apartments downtown.

Police continue to search for Stripling’s husband, Michael McKinney, in connection with her death.

Family members say he shot her in front of their daughters, ages three and eight.

“She’s waking up with shakes, she’s reliving the moment,” said Stripling’s mother Yolanda Stripling.

At Tuesday’s vigil, Stripling’s daughter relived happier moments spent with her mother.

“What I miss most about her is when she used to tell me that I look like her,” said Peighton Stripling.

But even in their weakest moments, the Stripling family is remembering their Christian teachings.

“I cannot hate the man that did this to my child. We have to push forward and be a forgiving -- have a forgiving heart,” said Yolanda Stripling.

Records show McKinnie was arrested in 2017 for allegedly strangling his wife and threatening to kill her, but the charge was later dropped.

“He wasn’t beating on her every day, it wasn’t like that. It was one incident, like, two years ago and then this,” said Stripling’s god sister Akira Jones.

Family members say Stripling’s murder came as a complete shock, but they’re finding strength in their faith.

McKinnie is wanted for first degree murder, reckless endangerment and a weapons charge since he’s a convicted felon.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A fugitive wanted on charges including first-degree murder, attempted murder and theft was arrested Thursday by U.S. Marshals.

Jerrahmiah Rankins, 25, was taken into custody at 7:30 a.m. in the 1000 block of Peabody Avenue.

Memphis Police said Rankins was wanted in an April 16 shooting in Raleigh that killed one man and injured another before the victims’ vehicle crashed into a pole.

Rankins is being held at the Shelby County Jail. No bond information was available.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police arrested a man in connection to a murder in West Memphis, Arkansas, in March.

Marcello Banks, 27, was arrested early Tuesday morning for the March 10 murder of 24-year-old Basha Thomas.

Banks was arrested in Memphis by the U.S. Marshals East Arkansas Fugitive Task Force. He will be extradited to Crittenden County for trial.

At the time of the murder, police said Thomas was shot and killed in his car in West Memphis around 6 a.m. Thomas’ family said he was shot at nearly a dozen times in the Imperial Homes apartment complex.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The family of Latarica Stripling recently united to remember her. Police say she was killed by her estranged husband Michael McKinnie.

Authorities had been looking for McKinnie for nearly two weeks until he was found in the Southwind area Tuesday night. He's accused of shooting Stripling in the head in front of her 8 and 3-year-old daughters.

Court records this isn't McKinnie's first time behind bars.

He was arrested in 2017 for allegedly strangling his wife and threatening to kill her. But charges were eventually dropped.

According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigators, McKinnie's criminal background dates back to the late 90's when he was arrested for possession of a weapon.

Police documents show that in 2003 McKinnie pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years. But by 2009 he was in trouble with the law again.

A woman says she was confronted by McKinnie when she walked into a store on Highland.  According to the affidavit he began calling her names, assaulting her with a stick, hitting her in her arms and legs, throwing drink cans at her and pulling her hair.

He was found guilty of assault, causing bodily harm and was sentenced to 15 days. Just two years later a man told police he got into a verbal altercation with McKinnie.

He says McKinnie left and returned to stab him with a screwdriver. McKinnie then  left and returned once again. This time with a gun. Police say he fired several shots that struck another man, who was forced to spend weeks in the hospital.

He was charged with attempted first-degree murder, but he eventually pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced to another five years behind bars.

LONG BEACH, Calif. – A person of interest is in custody after a woman was beaten to death in Southern California with an electric scooter Monday afternoon.

The incident was reported about 12:30 p.m. in the 6400 block of Obispo Avenue in Long Beach, Shaunna Dandoy, a spokesperson for the Long Beach Police Department, told KTLA.

The victim was walking east toward Obsipo Avenue and 64th Street when a person, described only as a black male, began physically assaulting her.

A bystander tried to intervene when the assailant grabbed a scooter that was nearby and used it to continue attacking the victim, Dandoy said. Later, when asked about a possible good Samaritan, Sgt. John Magallanes said he had no information about that, and added, “no one else was involved in that altercation.”

The man then ran away from the scene and was last seen heading west. He was seen wearing a dark hoodie, dark pants and red shoes, and had facial hair, Magallanes said.

Long Beach firefighters responded and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. She has not been identified.

The person of interest was taken into custody “in the general area” about 5 p.m., Magallanes said. He did not elaborate on that person or if he matched the description of the assailant.

Homicide detectives are at the scene and the investigation is ongoing. The motive behind the attack is unknown, and police could not say if it was random.

Police representatives declined to identify the brand of scooter that was used in the attack, but e-scooter rental company Bird confirmed it was involved in the investigation.

“We are deeply saddened by this act of violence and our hearts and thoughts go out to the victim and her family,” spokesperson Rebecca Hahn said in an emailed statement. “We will work with local law enforcement to help with the investigation into this tragedy.”

COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. —  The woman accused of killing Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church Pastor Brodes Perry waived a preliminary hearing in a Collierville court Tuesday.

Latoshia Daniels' case will now go to the Shelby County grand jury. That means it could be months before she's back in court.

Her attorney, Leslie Ballin, said the decision was made after a discussion with prosecution, but would not say why.

He said it was his understanding that Perry's wife, who was injured in the shooting but survived, was ready to testify, but she did not Tuesday.

There were plenty of tears as Daniels stood before the judge. Ballin says she has a lot of support, "a lot more than some of my other clients."

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Midtown neighbors say they're fed up with the crime at what police call a "known drug house" with alleged ties to torture and murder.

Records show police were called to the house at 515 Summit Street 63 times between April 2017 through March 2019 for things like suspicious people, possible drug sales, and prowlers.

Neighbors say they made a pact to start paying attention to what was going on in their neighborhood after one night in April 2017, when they say they woke up to more than 20 gunshots fired at the house in the middle of the block.

"Nothing like waking up at 2 in the morning to gunfire," said a neighbor who asked us not to use his name.

"When that happened, all of us neighbors were out here talking about it," said another neighbor Dru Phillips.

That's when they decided to form a community watch, and vowed to call police every time they see suspicious activity. They say they can hear cars coming, doors slamming, engines revving all hours day and night.

Of those 63 police calls, officers took a half dozen reports, mostly for drug activity. They also arrested several people at the home for allegedly having illegal prescription pills, marijuana and meth.

Their arrest records even refer to the home as "a known drug house."

To make matters even worse, a man named Michael McGehee said he lived in the home when he reportedly played a part in a brutal murder.

Court documents state that in July 2017, McGehee and two other men kidnapped 60-year-old Robert Glidden, tied him up with duct tape, stripped him of his clothing and beat him with "a fist, feet, bricks and other items" including a "taser and handguns."

Detectives say the trio then stuffed Glidden, still alive, into a trunk, then drove around for hours until they dumped his body next to a trash bin in an industrial area.

We found Glidden's obituary, stating he was a retired FDA chemist from Little Rock, so we went there.

Glidden's former neighbors in Little Rock didn't want their face shown. They were too afraid after hearing what happened to him, but told us what they remember.

"Very quiet. Kept to himself," said one neighbor. "The whole time he lived there when we saw him, we saw at least two people go in and out. Two people, that's it."

They also say when people moved into Glidden's home, they found buckets full of needles.

Police haven't said how Glidden is tied to McGehee, or anyone else in the Midtown home.

Neighbors say they never saw Glidden, but claim McGehee was seen at the home even after police put a warrant out for his arrest in February.

That's what pushed them to finally voice their concerns to us, and we brought their concerns to Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich.

Weirich said her office has to have a strong case to file a petition and convince a judge a home or property is a nuisance, but many of the calls at this house are for issues that are not covered by a nuisance petition, like a suspicious person or burglar alarm going off.

There has to be evidence of certain types of criminal activity, she said: "drugs, sales of drugs, obscenity pornography, prostitution, and the statue even talks about quarrelling and drunkenness."

Weirich encouraged neighbors to keep calling police when they see a problem.

"We really rely on the public very heavily for the nuisance actions we have taken in the past," she said.

Neighbors say they won't stop.

"We have reached out to authorities, we have reached out to everyone we can," Phillips said. "We want a place where we can feel safe."

The homeowner is a pharmacist in Arkansas. We have reached out to him multiple times, but have yet to hear back.

Neighbors also told us the home may be sold to an investor soon. We are trying to confirm that information.

McGehee will be back in court May 29.

Bryan Hervey was killed almost a week ago, but his last act was a heroic one — police found a slip of paper in his hand with a license plate number on it, an essential piece of evidence that helped them find his alleged killer.

The story is sadly clear now: Police say Ward shot into Hervey’s car multiple times and then chased him down outside a neighbors front door, killing him with more gunfire.

"You don’t expect that in a neighborhood where you live," neighbor Bobbie Jackson said. "So what was going through my mind that morning was pure frantic fear.”

People in this area in Cordova, while heartbroken, are determined to come together. They consider themselves a tight-knit group.

"I think there’s some great things here and some unique things about a small town," Jackson said. "The neighbors, people in general, just have to learn how to have that sense of community and caring.”

Ward's criminal record shows he had three prior arrests, including one for aggravated assault and another for unlawful possession of a weapon. He’s now facing a long stretch behind bars.

"You don’t stand in judgement but you certainly want to get criminals off the street,” Jackson said.

Ward was originally arrested in Olive Branch but is now at Shelby County Jail facing one charge of first-degree murder. It is still unclear whether his sister, the driver of the car that night, will face any charges.

-- By Peter Fleischer

OXFORD, Miss. — An Oxford Police officer has been arrested in the case of a 32-year-old mother who was found dead in Oxford on Sunday.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is looking into the case of Dominique Clayton as a homicide.

Dominique Clayton (submitted photo)

MBI investigators arrested Matthew Kinne after an investigation that began Sunday. He was charged with murder, MBI said.

Kinne is being held in the Panola County Jail pending his court appearance.

Jeff McCutchen, interim chief with the Oxford Police Department, said that early on in the investigation, it was found that Kinne, a four-year officer with Oxford Police, was possibly involved in a relationship with the victim.

MBI was called in at that point, and McCutchen said the agency would ensure the investigation would be independent and unbiased.

"We want to assure you that we will not hide behind our badge," McCutchen said. “Our hearts go out to the family of Dominique Clayton. To the family, we thank you for your patience and your trust in us to see this through.”

Clayton was found dead in Oxford on Sunday, but so far few details have been released.

No details were given Tuesday about Kinne’s involvement with Clayton or exactly how she died. A family member said Monday that Clayton's body was lying on her bed and there was a lot of blood on the back of her head.

Reggie Clayton, a cousin of the victim, thanked the MBI for their investigation.

Shyjaun Clayton, Dominique's sister, said she’s disappointed there aren’t more details about Kinne’s arrest. "Hopefully he’ll get convicted," she said. "We’ll get justice for my sister."

Kinne’s address is listed at a house located just outside the Oxford city limits. No one answered the door Tuesday, but neighbors confirmed he lives there.

A judge set a Wednesday hearing to consider whether a law requiring probable cause to arrest a police officer applies in Kinne’s case. The extra step before an arrest is only required when police officers and certain other public employees are accused of crimes while on duty. Howorth’s order says it is alleged that Kinne was not performing law enforcement duties when he’s accused of killing Clayton.

The judge also s he’ll also consider whether he should set bail for Kinne, and directed that Kinne be appointed a lawyer.

OXFORD, Miss. — An Oxford police officer charged in the murder of a Mississippi mother of four has been terminated, Alderman Jason Bailey said.

Bailey says The Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to fire Matthew Kinne during Tuesday night's meeting.

The chief of the Oxford Police Department said Kinne deserved no bond, and the department stood behind the family of the victim.

"Matthew Kinne committed murder, and we do not want him out," interim Chief Jeff McCutchen said, minutes after a court hearing that erupted in family members screaming on their way out the door. "We are with the Clayton family."

Kinne appeared before a judge Wednesday in Oxford. He is charged with murder in the death of Dominique Clayton, a 32-year-old mother whose body was found Sunday. MBI is investigating the case.

Kinne will remain in jail until that bond hearing, the judge said.

"I asked Ms Kilpatrick to confer with the defendant about whether or not he wanted, he’s entitled to have a bond hearing  now and he was agreeable, apparently, to postponing that till a later date,” Howorth said.

Once the court adjourned, however, family members in the hallway began screaming about the possibility that Kinne could receive bond in that hearing.

"There is no justice for black people," Clayton's mother, Bessie Clayton, said outside the courthouse. "They allowed the killer to decide his bond."

She and Clayton's aunt, Carolyn Clayton, claimed Kinne had been in a relationship with Clayton for more than a year before he allegedly killed her.

“That man came though the bushes, while he was on duty and walked in behind my daughter’s home, put a bullet in the back of her god...n head and executed her,” Bessie Clayton said.

Kinne’s attorney says the judge’s decision to postpone the bond hearing is not uncommon.

“In this instance the judge is allowing us time to try and work it out. That’s “day in day out” criminal law," attorney Tiffany Kilpatrick said. "That’s how most cases are handled. This case is no different, unfortunately, than any other case when it comes to the Constitutional rights of the defendant.”

WARNING: VERY STRONG LANGUAGE IN VIDEO BELOW

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Oxford, Mississippi judge who presided over a hearing for a former Oxford police officer has recused himself from the case, following demands from the family of victim Dominique Clayton.

Lafayette County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Howorth issued his recusal in the case of Matthew Kinne on  Wednesday, a day after a hearing for Kinney erupted with the victim's family members calling for him to be removed.

Family members said they were unhappy with the judge after a conversation between Howorth and Kinne concerning a  bond hearing. That hearing was postponed and Kinne remains in jail.

Howorth said he did not want his involvement to negatively affect fairness.

Kinne is accused of murdering Clayton, a woman family members say was in a relationship with the former officer. He was terminated from his job with the department, and the city's police chief said the department stands with the family.

OXFORD, Miss. — The family and attorney for Dominique Clayton, a 32-year-old mother of four who was shot dead at her Oxford home May 19, said they will  seek the death penalty for the man accused of the crime if he is convicted.

Matthew Kinne, an Oxford police officer, was arrested in connection to the crime two days after Clayton was killed. He was fired from the Oxford Police Department following his arrest.

Matthew Kinne

Because of the nature of the crime, attorney Carlos Moore, who has been on the job for one day, said he will be seeking the death penalty if Kinne is convicted of the crime.

For the death penalty in Mississippi, the murder must be classified as a capital murder, meaning another felony was committed to lead to the murder. Moore said he thinks that's the case here.

"We believe that Ms. Clayton did not let him in her home; we believe she was asleep when he got there," Moore said. "So how did he get in? If he burglarized her home and them committed murder ... I believe that's capital murder, and capital murder would deserve the death penalty."

Clayton was found dead in her home by her youngest child. Moore said the family's ideal result would be death by firing squad, which was recently made into law in Mississippi.

“Mississippi made it the law that we can execute people by firing squad," Moore said. "I believe that lethal injection isn’t good enough. This man needs to be executed by firing squad for what he did if he is found guilty in a court of law.”

Dominique Clayton (submitted photo)

The circumstances under which Kinne allegedly killed Clayton are still unclear, but the family said they will hold any person or group involved accountable.

“While I am very appreciative of the mayor and the interim police chief, if Oxford was somehow complicit in this murder, if they somehow enable, if their policies somehow contributed to this death, we’re going to hold everyone accountable, including the city of Oxford," Moore said.

Kinne was denied bond by a judge Friday.

—WREG's Peter Fleischer contributed

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation already is handling the case of Dominique Clayton, who was found dead last week.

Matthew Kinne, a former Oxford officer allegedly involved in a relationship with Clayton, has been charged with murder. Kinne was terminated as an employee by the city May 21, and the police department's interim chief said at a court hearing that the department stood with the victim's family.

Tannehill confirmed Tuesday that she called Attorney General Jim Hood's office last Friday on behalf of the city.

"These two entities will complete thorough investigations with the full cooperation and support of the Oxford Police Department and City of Oxford," Tannehill said, expressing her remorse to Clayton's family.

"Our community continues to mourn alongside the Clayton family," she said. "Dominique Clayton was a mother, daughter, sister and friend and I simply cannot imagine the pain her family is dealing with right now.  We extend our deepest sympathies to Dominique’s family and friends. It is my prayer that this tragedy will unite us as a community."

Tannehill also said that the mayor and Board of Aldermen have not suspended or terminated any other officers, aside from Kinne.

Carlos Moore, attorney for the Clayton family, said he has spoken to Hood's office regarding the investigation.

"I appreciate the mayor calling his office in to investigate," Moore said.

TIPPAH COUNTY, Miss. — A defendant in a double murder in north Mississippi was found guilty Thursday on two counts capital murder.

Kedarius Hamer was immediately sentenced to life without parole in the murders of Alya Hopper and Paul Koster in the early morning hours of July 6, 2017.

The victims were found in a home just outside of Walnut in Tippah County.

"The city doesn't want this. They want to throw it in my lap, I don't want it either," Frances Wright Moore says.

Frances Wright Moore was awarded property in a settlement after her husband was murdered. Now she may be stuck paying off taxes and penalties for the man who killed her husband. 'It's still a miscarriage of justice," she said.

The courts awarded Wright this property and two homes from the man who admitted to killing her husband Mickey, a code enforcement officer, back in 2001.

But she refuses to put this property in her name — and she has nearly 130,000 reasons why she's holding off.

If the property goes into Wright's name, she becomes responsible for the city and county taxes and penalties that have gone unpaid for years, about $126,000 at her last count.

"Pay off his debt, while he is laying back and my taxes are still paying for his housing," she said. "It's ludicrous, it's an embarrassment. I'm offended, I'm ***** off, I'm appalled."

The standing water appears to be a breeding ground for insects. More and more trash is discarded in the lot by the day.

It's a reminder of what Wright calls a failure of justice — that she's being asked to pay the taxes for her husband's admitted killer.

"It's still a miscarriage of justice, for them to throw this into my lap," she said.

Mickey Wright, a code enforcement officer, was killed in 2001.

Her efforts have gone from the courtroom to crowdfunding, with hopes she will raise enough to avoid losing this land in an October tax sale. She knows time is of the essence.

"My goal is to raise enough money to pay the oldest two years, and then I can push that October sale back," Wright said.

Shelby County Trustee Regina Newman confirmed to WREG via phone that any back taxes follow the property.

But Wright is hoping a little-known Tennessee code that deems a property an environmental hazard will help in her efforts.

"So according to the code annotated it says the penalties, the interest, the attorney fees, the weeds all of that the expenses of that which they put on the tax bill that can be waived," Wright said.

— By Jerrita Patterson

WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — An accused killer recently featured in WREG’s Manhunt Monday series has been captured.

On Friday, the West Memphis Police Department announced the arrest of Travis Johnson in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was extradited back to Crittenden County where he was charged with first-degree murder, battery, aggravated assault, terrorist activity and being a felon in possession of a firearm in the death of 25-year-old Unseld Nance Junior.

His bond was set at $500,000.

Just two weeks ago, WREG spoke with Nance’s cousin Toney Davis who described what happened that night in September.

He said he and his cousin were in the front yard of a house on McCauley Cove when they were shot.

“I heard gun shots. When I heard the gun shots, only thing my mind told me to do was hit the ground,” he said.

One of the bullets hit Davis in his leg. Nance was hit multiple times and was rushed to the hospital where he died.

Investigators said Johnson had just been released from prison and was on parole at the time of the shooting.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. —  A Memphis man pleaded guilty to charges in connection to the shocking death of a 78-year-old man nearly four years ago.

According to police, a neighbor discovered Paul Maher bound with duct tape and rope inside his Print Avenue home on December 31, 2015. He had been beaten and appeared to have been denied food and water for several days. Maher was rushed to the hospital where he died a day later from his injuries.

Investigators eventually determined that James Buchanan, 47, was a suspect in this case. They said he had been hired by Maher to do some yard work and that Buchanan knew the victim lived alone and was vulnerable.

In June 2017, WREG reported a possible motive in the case. Buchanan reportedly confessed at some point to breaking into the home and assaulting the victim before stealing the man’s car, weapons and cash.

On June 27, James Buchanan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping charges. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole.

Buchanan’s wife Lisa Buchanan and their son Steven Buchanan were also connected to the crime, police said.

Their cases are pending.

NEW YORK — A man accused of killing his wealthy father after his allowance was cut has been convicted of murder, according to WRAL.

Thomas Gilbert Jr., 35, faces up to life in prison at his August 9 sentencing. According to WRAL, the jury did not accept his insanity defense.

Gilbert Jr., an unemployed Princeton University graduate, shot his father, hedge fund manager Thomas Gilbert Sr. in the elder man’s Manhattan apartment in 2015, WRAL reported.

Gilbert Jr. has schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders which, according to his lawyer, made him incapable of understanding the ramifications of shooting his father.

Prosecutors argued Gilbert Jr. knew exactly what he was doing and was motivated by his father’s decision to cut his weekly allowance from $1,000 to $300.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Mississippi man was convicted of first-degree murder in connection to the death of a man last year in Raleigh.

Jamarcus Miller of Olive Branch was found guilty Friday and will automatically be sentenced to life behind bars when he returns to court on July 30.

According to investigators, the 24-year-old shot Nicholas Brunetti during an attempted robbery on January 6, 2018. The victim was found dead inside his truck in the 5000 block of Yale Road.

Investigators said Brunetti was set up by an acquaintance, 21-year-old Kaci Calderon. She was also charged in the case.

LEXINGTON, Miss. — A Mississippi man is charged with two counts of murder after a pregnant woman was killed days before her baby was due.

Holmes County Sheriff Willie March says 33-year-old Terrence K. Sample was arrested Monday, hours after the body of 21-year-old Makayla Winston was found.

Mississippi is one of 38 states with a fetal homicide law. March says Sample is charged with kidnapping, capital murder for the baby’s death and murder for Winston’s death. It wasn’t clear whether Sample has an attorney.

March says Winston’s family describes Sample as her boyfriend, and investigators believe Sample also was romantically involved with another woman.

March says people saw Winston and Sample together Thursday night, a week before the baby’s due date. March says tests will show how and when she was killed.