Two charged in shooting

Two people are being held without bond in the shooting death of Frankie Cathey, 43, at noon Wednesday, July 27, according to sheriff Kenny Dickerson.

Officers were called to the Chulahoma area in the 8900 block of Highway 309 by the victim’s mother regarding a shooting, he said.

Upon arrival at the residence, the sheriff, investigators and medical personnel found Cathey seated on the living room couch.

It appeared the Cathey had been deceased for several hours, Dickerson said.

Numerous 9 mm gunshots wounds were found on the upper body and numerous shell casings were recovered from the floor. A search of the area nearby led to the recovery of a 9 mm pistol that had been discarded.

“During the course of the investigation by myself, Maj. Kelly McMillen and other deputies, ATF agents and officers with the U.S. Marshals Service, two suspects were identified, arrested and charged,” the sheriff said.

Montrell Leevon Ramsey, 18, of the 4400 block of Laws Hill Road, was arrested by McMillen around 10 p.m. Wednesday, the sheriff said. Dequan Sanchez Hall, 22, of the 400 block of Gordon Drive, Holly Springs, was arrested by deputy Charles Howell around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, July 28, Dickerson said.

Both suspects were charged with capital murder and denied bond by circuit court judge Kent Smith, the sheriff said.

The probable motive in the shooting was robbery, Dickerson said.

There are 13 persons in Marshall County Jail charged with murder, according to the sheriff.

He said there appears the number of shooting deaths in the county are out of proportion to what is normally experienced.

“A lot seems to be youthon- youth violence and some is possibly gang-related,” Dickerson said. “A lot is gang activity and drug activity is worse.”

In some cases youngsters come under peer pressure that leads them down the wrong path, he said.

The elevated shooting deaths are just a microcosm of what is seen in Memphis, Tenn., he said. Quite a few have records going back to their days as juveniles.

Ideally, in a perfect world, Dickerson said these crimes would not happen due to efforts at prevention.

But he was told by one inmate, “We have it better in prison than on the street.” the sheriff said.

And some parents do not know what to do to discipline their children.

“Some parents leave them here in jail,” he said. “The crystal meth and cocaine are so prevalent all over the world. There is no shortage of it. In case of robbery, it appears to be the motive that’s an easy way to get money, if you don’t mind killing a person.”

“We do everything to prevent it. One thing for sure, if they commit crime we will be on their trail hot and heavy.”

Pastor LaDaryl Odum, who serves as an investigator with the sheriff’s department, said shootings are definitely on the increase.

“I know the drug culture has increased - fentanyl, crystal meth, marijuana, cocaine and a resurgence of heroin,” Odum said.

And there is also an increase in overdosing due to the mixture of meth and fentanyl, he said.

“Some have survived it and some haven’t,” Odum said.