(Memphis) Tonight, family members of those killed by a speeding Memphis police officer wonder if justice will ever be served.
For the second time, the family showed up for court, only to find out the now-former officer had been allowed to appear the day before.
The family believes it’s getting the run around.
It took six months for the Tennessee Highway Patrol to complete its investigation.
It took another three months for the Shelby County District Attorney to announce charges.
Now each time the victims’ family has shown up for a scheduled court date, Alex Beard has already come and gone.
Photos they’ve seen on television of Beard are the closest family members of Delois Jean Epps and 14-year-old Mackal, have come to ever seeing him.
They thought they’d finally get to lay eyes on him today, but when they got to court, they found out he was arraigned yesterday.
Epps’ Niece, Alicia Murphy, said, “The only thing we’re concerned with is no one notified us. So, this kind of put a doubt in our mind, will justice really prevail in this case.”
The family says the run around started August 26, 2012, the day of the accident.
They question if the former police officer’s connections are behind it.
“By him being an ex-police officer, what makes him so different from the other criminals,” questioned Epps’ niece, Shaquitta Epps.
WREG-TV wanted to know the answer to that, also.
Why has Alex Beard been allowed to pick and choose when he shows up for court, which has been out of the glare of the media and victims’ family?
Assistant District Attorney Billy Bond says it was Beard’s attorney, Leslie Ballin, who asked for his client to be arraigned early. Bond and the judge agreed.
Bond said, “I was actually in trial yesterday so my mind was other places than thinking about calling the victims’ family, so for that I apologize.”
Bond says he’ll make every effort to inform the family of future hearings.
That’s important to Delois’ family and friends.
While an initial arraignment may be just a formality in court, for them being there was an important step in the healing process.
“It’s a big deal to us. It may not be a big deal to them because it’s just a number to them. It’s not a number to us,” said Sherry Farmer, friend of Delois Epps.