MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Police Department has confirmed a man was found dead in an impound lot more than six weeks after he was shot.
The shooting occurred Dec. 18, 2017 in the 3000 block of Yale Avenue.
Police say two men were sitting in a car when they were approached by three men who tried to rob them.
The suspects shot at the victims after they refused to comply with their demands.
The first victim, a 47-year-old man, was shot multiple times and was transported to Regional One Hospital in critical condition.
The second victim, a 55-year-old man, was sitting in the passenger seat and was not injured during the shooting.
Due to the first victim’s injuries, police could not speak to him until Jan. 22, a day before he was released from the hospital.
Police say he confirmed both he and the passenger were both sitting in the vehicle when three men approached them and began shooting.
Authorities say the victim went to the MPD impound lot in the 400 block of Klinke Monday to retrieve his van that was confiscated during the investigation.
That’s when a dead body was found in the rear of the vehicle. The deceased man was there since the shooting more than six weeks prior and was shot by the suspects.
“It is believed that one of the shots fired by the suspect fatally wounded the victim,” said Memphis Police Director Mike Rallings.
Rallings is very upset and says a body shouldn’t have been overlooked.
“Although the cargo van was overly stocked with equipment, there is no explanation as to how the deceased victim remained in the vehicle without being detected by officers on the scene, or why investigators were never advised that there was a third victim involved in this incident,” said Rallings.
“If it was a drug bust, that car would’ve been thoroughly searched, police would’ve looked in the trunk, cut the tires, look in the engine,” said Eric Townsend. “I don’t why they didn’t search that van like that.”
The identity of the victim has not yet been released.
