CAMDEN — By BRADLY GILL
Staff Writer
John D. Kennedy, a lawyer for murder suspect Raheem Tyrece Stuckey, has been granted a motion to be relieved as Stuckey’s counsel because Kennedy he has accepted a job in Texas.
Documents state that Kennedy was made aware of the state date on Oct. 9 and was granted the request on Oct. 15.
Information from the circuit court of Dallas County show that Raheem Tyrece Stuckey, 18, of Fordyce, and Khalili Tre’Von Gallaway, 19, of Fordyce, have both been charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery in the death of 18-year-old Jesse Turner, also of Fordyce.
Paul Marques Cross, 31, has been charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and possession of firearms by certain persons in connection with the case, court documents show.
The state is seeking the death penalty for Gallaway and Stuckey.
Stuckey and Cross remain in Dallas County Detention Center where Stuckey is being held without bond. Gallaway is being held in Ouachita County Detention Center also without bond
Cross has alleged his constitutional rights were violated during the search of his home and his subsequent interrogation. The state denies these allegations.
On May 23, officers of the Fordyce Police Department and special agents from the Arkansas State Police arrested Stuckey and Gallaway for Turner’s murder. At that time, both were charged with one count of first-degree murder and with arson, according to a news release from law enforcement.
Cross was arrested on May 24.
At around 3:45 p.m. on May 23, Fordyce Police Department Officer John Cutrell was dispatched to a car fire behind Higher Heights Apartments on Kingsland Road in Fordyce.
Upon arrival, he made contact with the Fordyce Fire Department which was already on the scene. The vehicle was a total loss and found to be registered to John Turner of Fordyce.
The narrative of the probable cause affidavit is as follows:
“At 7:21 p.m. (on May 23), the Fordyce Police Department received a call about a body in a wooded area on Cleveland Street (in Fordyce) which is directly behind the vacant house. (An) officer identified the body as Jesse Turner, 18, of Fordyce.
“During a search of the two crime scenes, a large blood trail was found from Turner’s body to the vacant house where the burned vehicle was located.”
The affidavit states that Turner had been shot in his mid-thigh region and that evidence showed that he had died several hours before the burned vehicle was found, and that a 40-caliber shell casing was located under the vehicle.
During interviews, it was learned that Turner was last seen with Stuckey and Gallaway at the Delco apartments in Fordyce on the night of the murder, the affidavit states. It also shows that:
“According to one interview, Turner wanted to join the Crips gang and was beat up earlier in the night at Paul Cross’ house.”
Reportedly, Cross later told law enforcement agents that Stuckey and Turner arrived at Cross’ house earlier that day and that “Turner had a 40-caliber pistol in his pants.
On May 24, deputies from the Ouachita County Sheriff’s Department located Stuckey and Gallaway walking near Mt. Holly Road and Goodgame Street in Camden and asked them where they were going, according to the affidavit. They reportedly stated that they “heard someone was killed in Fordyce and they were being accused of it. They said they were headed to the police department to talk about it.”
They were taken to the Fordyce Police Department for the interview at the request of law enforcement agents.
A family member of one of the suspects was interviewed and she reportedly stated that at some point, she took Gallaway and Stuckey to Hibbitt Sports to buy new shoes and pants, and to Walmart to buy underwear. The clerk at Hibbits reported that the teens had a large roll of money and they both paid for the items with $100 bills, the probable cause document states.
In Cross’ interview, he reportedly stated that Gallaway and Stuckey arrived at his home early in the morning and “told him they had just killed Jesse Turner,” according to the affidavit. Cross said the pair had “a large sum of money they took from Turner and counted it on the floor,” and that “Gallaway had blood on his boxer shorts.”
The teens also reportedly placed a gun in a backpack. At the teens’ request, Cross drove them to a relative’s home in Camden, but “stopped between Bearden and Camden for Gallaway to hide the backpack in a wooded area of the median. Agents found the backpack in that area and it contained Turner’s drivers license,” according to the probable cause report.
A silver 380-caliber pistol was also located near the backpack, the report states.
The affidavit also states:
“It is believed that Stuckey and Gallaway robbed Turner and later had his vehicle burned to destroy any evidence at the scene.”