MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County District Attorney General's Office said a judge has set bond at $1.2 million for the teen accused of killing a beloved Memphis watermelon merchant.
According to court records, 16-year-old Demarion Tackett was indicted Aug. 6, 2024, on charges of first-degree murder and attempted robbery. He was arraigned on Aug. 13. The D.A. said on Aug. 29, the judge set his bond at $1.2 million. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail.
Tackett is charged with the murder of 76-year-old John Materna, better known around Memphis as the "Watermelon Man,” during a robbery on May 15, 2023, when Tackett was 15-years-old. Materna died on May 29, 2023.
Materna was shot while selling fruit out of his truck, like he had done for 30 years.
According to court documents, officers found Materna lying on the ground at the corner of Homer and Wayne suffering from a gunshot wound on his left side. A black revolver was also lying next to him, the affidavit said. He was taken to Regional One Hospital in critical condition, where he later died.
Tackett was originally arrested in February 2024 for the murder. He posted a bond of $100,000 on March 29 and was released from jail.
Authorities said Tackett then missed a court date June 21 and went on the run. He was rearrested July 8. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said at that time, while his office had been successful in transferring Tackett to adult court, they unsuccessfully lobbied for a higher bond than the $100,000 originally issued by a Shelby County judge. After his rearrest, Tackett was ordered held without bond.
Court records show Tackett also faces indictments in two carjacking cases from April 2023, also when he was 15-years-old.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect bond was set at $1.2 million, not $1.3 million as originally reported by D.A.'s office.
