Top Stories Memphis

• FAST FACTS:
• Steve Branch breaks his silence
• He’s upset with recent publicity in the West Memphis Three Case
• Branch remains convinced the right people are behind bars

tom.powell@wreg.com


tompowell3 on Twitter

(West Memphis, AR) — Steve Branch says he’s not one to chase down cameras. “I didn’t want to come out here and do this,” he told us during an interview Friday. “I didn’t see any other choice.”

Branch has remained relatively quiet since the end of the trials for the West Memphis Three: Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin.

He felt compelled to speak out now because of recent publicity in the case. “I’m here for the three eight-year-old boys that were tortured and murdered, one of which was my son, Little Steve,” he said.

Branch was convinced after the trials, and remains convinced today, that the right people are behind bars for the murders of Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore.

Part of his message Friday was meant specifically for the West Memphis Three. “Instead of begging them to let you out, you should be begging them to let you stay in there, because you don’t want to come back out here,” Branch said.

Branch was upset when he saw parts of a recent interview Johnny Depp did for an upcoming episode of 48 Hours Mystery . “To Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and the rest of you celebrities trying to get in the spotlight by standing on my son’s shoulders, stop it. You should be ashamed of yourselves,” Branch said.

Branch is also disappointed with family members of the victims who are now supporting the West Memphis Three. “I say to the parents who are supporting their sons’ killers, to quote another son to his parent, ‘Why has thou forsaken me?’”

• LaShunaye Railford In Custody
• Suspect In Police Officer Stabbing
• Girlfriend Says They Got The Wrong Guy

danya.bacchus@wreg.com


(Memphis 02/24/2010) Monday, Memphis police arrested LaShunaye Railford, as a suspect in the stabbing of officer Justina Scoggins. Scoggins was stabbed Sunday morning patrolling along Dunnavant, near McLemore and Bellevue.

Railford’s girlfriend, Krystal Buck, says police have the wrong guy.

“I know my man, I”ve been with him for six years. I know what he’s capable of and what he’s not capable of. He is the sweetest person in the world you want to know,” said Buck.

Buck says Railford was at home at the time of the stabbing and claims he only left between 10:30 and 11am to go to this store a couple of blocks away with his three year old son.

“He went to Friendly to get some cigarettes and deodorant. When he bought me deodorant he came right back, him and my three year old baby.”

The arrest ticket for Railford says he was positively identified by Officer Scoggins. Buck believes the officer is mistaken saying her boyfriend doesn’t fit the original suspect description. Police said they were looking for a man 5-10 to 6 feet tall, around 200 pounds.

“So you tell me. He don’t weigh 263 pounds. He’s 6′3 and weighs a hundred something. So you know you got to look at all that,” said Buck.

She also says he didn’t have on the clothes police say the suspect was wearing. Monday, police got a order for a 48 hour hold for probable cause. Railford is still in custody and hasn’t been charged. His girlfriend believes he’ll be coming home soon.

“They need to look into it better you know release him because I know he ain’t do it. I hope they find out who did it do her.”

• 28 year-old Lashumaye Railford held for aggravated assault
• Officer Justina Scoggins stabbed several times
• MPD says suspect not yet charged, but Railford already has court date

(Memphis 2/23/2010) Memphis police are holding a man in connection with the stabbing a female officer Sunday.

MPD says 28-year-old Lashumaye Railford has not been officially charged.

Authorities say Railford stabbed Officer Justina Scoggins several times behind a vacant apartment complex near McLemore and Bellevue.

Railford is in detention for a 48 hour hold.

He was given a court date Tuesday morning.

A detention document shows “there is probable cause” to believe he’s responsible for stabbing Scoggins.

MPD says Scoggins was on routine patrol Sunday morning when she was injured in the line of duty. For hours after the attack, police staked out three blocks in South Memphis, looking for the man who stabbed the officer several times.

Neighbors saw the suspect as the officer chased him through vacant buildings. News Channel 3 has learned that police continue to interview Railford and that he’s not new to crime.

He’s been arrested before for thefts, car burglaries, and domestic assault.

• John Ford convicted to nearly 20 year in prison after TN Waltz scandal
• Ford moved from MS prison to Memphis, TN on Wednesday
• Sources suspect he’s in town for upcoming trial

(Memphis 2/21/10) News Channel 3 broke the story Friday, confirming that the former State Senator is in a Memphis prison and sources tell us, even his own family has yet to see him.

Ford has been in federal prison since 2008. He was sentenced to five-and-a-half years for bribery in the Tennessee waltz sting operation. Then, he received another 14 years in prison, after being found guilty of wire fraud and taking more than $800,000 from two major TennCare contractors while he was in office.

The Memphis Federal Corrections Institute is a medium security facility even though Ford was sentenced to low security. The prison confirms Ford’s stay is only temporary and he will return to his permanent prison in Yazoo City, Mississippi.

After being sentenced to nearly 20 years in the Tennessee waltz corruption trial, Ford has traveled across country while in the federal prison system.

He drove into minimum security federal prison in Pollock, Louisiana in 2008. The Federal Bureau of Prisons then transferred him to a prison in Big Spring, Texas, nearly 900 miles away from home. The Ford family enlisted help from Congressman Steve Cohen, who helped move him closer to home in August 2009.

Ford then transferred to Mississippi to be closer to family.

Various sources suspect Ford is here to testify in an upcoming trial. Prosecutors say Ford helped Doctor Roger Morgan get license to practice. The May 2008 indictment says Ford took money from Morgan for his legal defense fund.

Morgan will stand trial March 15th, but it’s unclear how long Ford will be in Memphis

• Woman’s Dog Shot By Police Officers
• Files Claim With City For Vet Bill and Is Denied
• Mayor Wharton Says City Will Pay

danya.bacchus@wreg.com

(Memphis 02/21/2010) Anna Bolton can finally put what happened to her dogs behind her. In October, two Memphis police officers opened fire on Violet and 3-year old Bing while answering a burglary call at her home.

Police say the dogs charged at them when they went in Bolton’s backyard. Violet ran away days later she was found under a neighbors porch. Bing, however, was shot and needed medical treatment. Treatment that would end up costing Bolton $1094. A bill she felt the city should pay.

“I chose to offer a thousand dollar reward. I chose to send out automated phone calls about my lost dog but I didn’t choose the vet bills. I had no option unless I just wanted to let my dog die,” she said.

Bolton filed a claim with the city. It was denied because the city says the officers followed protocol.

“It was real frustrating. I felt the claims department didn’t explore the situation as fully as they should have. They went just off what the officer said.”

Saturday morning she received a surprise phone call from Mayor AC Wharton letting her know the bill would be paid.

“He also said if he’d known about the claim prior to its denial or if he knew that the claim was denied he would not have allowed it to be denied. He didn’t think it was right.”

Bolton says she couldn’t be happier about the decision.

“I’m just real thankful that the mayor reversed the decision.”

Bolton says the help from the city is a huge relief.