MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As Mid-South leaders continue to grapple with increasing crime rates, one of Memphis’s newest murder suspects was walking the streets, despite being charged with two other murders earlier this year.

Lamont Murry shot and killed a man during an argument Sunday afternoon in Southwest Memphis, police said.

They charged Murry with second-degree murder for the Ford Road incident. However, WREG has learned that Murry was already facing other murder charges.

Memphis Police said he killed two people in August of 2020 at a motel on American Way; one of the victims was the daughter of a member of Memphis rap group Three 6 Mafia.

According to a court affidavit, surveillance video showed Murry killing a man in the motel lobby and a woman in her car. He later admitted both killings were gang retaliations for another homicide.

Despite all of this, prosecutors dropped his murder charges last year. When WREG investigators asked about the dropped charge Monday, DA spokesman Larry Buser said they did that because their witnesses didn’t show up to court and the judge wouldn’t let them postpone the case.

That allowed Murry to walk out free.

More than a year later, police said he killed the other person on Ford Road.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland spoke about this issue recently, commenting on the area’s “broken judicial system” and the “revolving door at 201 Poplar” that allows violent people to commit more crimes.

Records showed a grand jury indicted Murry in June 2021 for the two killings on American Way. WREG asked the DA’s office why there was such a long delay to hold Murry accountable for the alleged murders. Buser said “further investigation was needed.”

Records show he was never taken into custody after the second charges.

We asked the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office why deputies never served the warrant on Murry. In a statement, public information officer John Morris said “the Sheriff’s Office made multiple efforts to locate and apprehend Mr. Murry. It is extremely common for those who believe they are criminal suspects to avoid apprehension and arrest.”

Court records list Murry’s address as unknown.