Memphis, Tenn. — A South Memphis man is charged with first degree murder, accused of shooting a man dead on Preston Street.
Police say Marlon Boyd murdered a man in front of one of his friends and told his friend, “If you tell, I’ll kill you too.”
Apparently, that didn’t stop his friend from going to police.
Neighbors describe it as a frightening experience, finding a man just lying in the middle of Preston Street at 2:30 a.m. Friday.
Now a memorial marks the place where Michael Richard died.
“I was scared and the main thing, I thought he was just injured, you know, just hurt or something, but they say he was shot and he was dead,” said Robbie Jones, who lives next door to the man who was murdered.
Jones was just one person woken up by the gun shot and police.
“It’s the first time something like that has happened on this street in 18 years,” said Willie Slaughter.
Two days after Richard’s murder, police made an arrest. They say it was Boyd who pulled the trigger, taking the life of someone’s husband, someone’s father.
Police say Boyd murdered Richard in front of one of his buddies and told his friend to keep quiet or he’d kill him, too.
That friend ended up coming forward to police on Sunday.
“What do you think about the fact the guy turned him even though he was threatened with his life?” asked reporter Sabrina Hall.
“I think he did the right thing,” said Slaughter.
Jones says she knows the accused killer.
“He was a neighbor. His mother and father owns the house right across the street over there.”
She believes the trouble was likely caused by what happens on Preston when the sun goes down.
“They all hang out there. You know, the cars pull up and fellas come and they laugh and talk out there on the street. You just never know what is going to take place when they are all grouped up like that.”
She says if police break up these gatherings, that might prevent a future life lost.
Boyd is locked up on first degree murder charges and is being held without bond.
