Two men have been indicted in a murder and attempted robbery case in which the victim’s body was discovered inside a van more than a month later at the city impound lot, Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich said Monday.
Defendants Mardracus West, 19, and Earl Brown, 21, are being held without bond.
They were indicted this week on multiple felony counts, including first-degree murder in the perpetration of attempted especially aggravated robbery and attempted especially aggravated robbery. West also was indicted on two counts of attempted first-degree murder of two other victims and employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.
On Dec. 18, 2017, police were called to the 3000 block of Yale where a robbery victim with several gunshot wounds was found sitting in a van and another robbery victim was seated in the front passenger seat. The gunshot victim was hospitalized in critical condition and later upgraded to non-critical.
The van was towed to the city impound lot where, on Feb. 5, 2018, the body of a third victim, Bardomiano Perez Hernandez, was found behind the front seat. An autopsy determined that Hernandez died of a gunshot wound. One of the surviving victims said Hernandez, 33, was in the van during the attempted robbery in December.
The case is being handled by Alanda Dwyer, chief prosecutor of the Special Prosecution Unit (SPU) in Criminal Court Division 7. SPU seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.
