Murder suspect arrested

A shooting in the area of North Center Street Tuesday night, Oct. 31, took the life of a Marshall County man, according to Holly Springs Police Chief Dwight Harris.

Charles Matthews, 51, of the 1600 block of Highway 7 South, died of multiple gunshot wounds before he could be airlifted to the Regional One Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn., Harris said.

The shooting was the end result of an altercation in the street, just off the downtown square, that escalated to the point to where the suspect is believed to have shot Matthews.

Harris said the suspect, Thaddeus “T Babe” Scales, 41, of the 100 block of Randall Drive in the Meadows, fled on foot following the shooting and was arrested at Holly Market on North Memphis Street.

The investigation is still ongoing, Harris said.

Scales is charged with one count first degree murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Harris said. Bond for Scales was set by justice court judge Mae Garrison at $500,000.

Scales was convicted in Marshall County circuit court in February 2009 for possession of a controlled substance, the police chief said.

Harris said there was a large crowd present when the shooting took place last week. No other suspects have been identified, he said. The firearm has not been recovered.

Coroner James Richard Anderson said preliminary autopsy results from the state medical examiner’s office indicated Matthews died of multiple gunshot wounds to the arms and chest.

He said ambulance medics met the helicopter on the pad in front of the old KFC (Highway 7 North) while attempting to stabilize Matthews, but to no avail.

Shots fired were reported at 7:59 p.m., he said. The call to 911 came in at 8:02 p.m., and he pronounced Matthews dead at 8:50 p.m.

The incident took place on Halloween, not long after trick-or-treating downtown had concluded. It was scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m.