MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two more suspects charged in the shooting of a FedEx employee have been ordered released from jail on their own recognizance (ROR), according to court records.
The 18-year-old twins - Ja'Marcus Odell and Ja'Marion Odell – are each charged with attempted facilitation of second-degree murder. Court records showed bond was originally set at $80,000 each, but on Nov. 14, Judge Bill Anderson ordered the two released on their own recognizance.
A third suspect, Tyreese Earnest, 18, was also released on his own recognizance on Nov. 12 after a hearing with Judge Anderson where Earnest’s bond was reduced from $200,000. Earnest is charged with attempted second-degree murder, employing a firearm with intent to commit a felony, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and vandalism.
In a statement to ABC24, Shelby County D.A. Steve Mulroy's Office said, “Earlier this week, the DA expressed disagreement with the court’s decision to release Tyrese Earnest, a suspect in the FedEx shooting, on his own recognizance (ROR). Today, the judge made the same decision for the two remaining co-defendants. In both instances, our prosecutors firmly opposed these releases."
State Sen. Brent Taylor said he sent a letter to Mulory following news of Earnest's ROR, asking the D.A. to file a Writ of Certiorari in the case, which asks for a higher court to review the case.
"DA Mulroy may respect the decision, but he doesn’t have to accept it as final," said a statement from Taylor. "I can tell you that I do not respect the decision, nor do the people of Memphis respect Judge Anderson’s decision. While Judge Anderson has the authority to make this decision that we honor under the law, only the district attorney has the ability to file a Writ of Certiorari to have a Criminal Court Judge overrule a General Sessions Judge like Bill Anderson and fix such an injustice."
The shooting
Memphis Police officers responded to the shooting about 4 a.m. the morning of Oct. 30, 2024, in the FedEx Hub parking lot along Democrat Road. According to the police affidavit, the shooting happened during a shift change at the FedEx Hub.
Officers found the victim inside the ‘North Tower’ shot several times. He told investigators he had been shot in the north end of the parking lot and drove to the ‘North Tower’ for help, according to the affidavit.
Police said surveillance video showed three suspects looking through the victim’s car window about 20 minutes before the shooting. They said the three suspects were then seen getting into a small sedan parked near the victim's car.
Investigators said when the victim was at his car, the same three men were seen on video at the crime scene at the time of the shooting.
Investigators said the victim recognized the suspects by face and phone number, because they worked in the same area and were part of a group chat together.
Police said Earnest waived his rights under questioning and admitted to his involvement in the shooting. They said he identified the other two suspects as being at the scene, the affidavit said.
Investigators said the victim identified Earnest as the one who shot him and told him, "If you move imma shoot you" moments before shots were fired.
Police said Ja'Marcus Odell admitted his involvement and told investigators Ja'Marion Odell drove all three of them from the crime scene in their father's car.
An early statement after the shooting from a FedEx spokesperson said an employee had accidentally fired his personal gun in the parking lot. FedEx later released the following statement:
“We are thankful our team member did not sustain serious injuries, and we hope for a speedy recovery. There is no higher priority than the safety and security of our team members, and we are cooperating fully with investigating authorities. All further questions should be directed to Memphis Police.”