WTW: Tennessee Justice
October 19th, 2005 at 12:39 pm by Preston Taylor Holmes
Way back in July, a bunch of white trash punks, who had obviously watched way too much MTV and fancied themselves some type of bad-ass gangstas, decided they were going to pull a drive-by and open fire on a group of people in a small neighborhood in South Knoxville.
In an act of heroism, Alisha Quillen, 19, was shot when she shielded a young girl from the gunfire and took a bullet herself. Since then, the state’s bungling of the case has made Marcia Clark and Chris Darden look like brain surgeons. Now, three of the gunmen and a driver have entered guilty pleas and may get off with probation.
Three gunmen in a fatal drive-by shooting and a fourth man who served as a driver could walk away with probation in a deal inked by the Knox County District Attorney’s Office.
The deals were announced Friday in Knox County Criminal Court before Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz and were another stunning development in a case that has been marked by miscues, twists and surprises.
At Friday’s hearing, gunmen Aaron K. Lawless, 18, Colin Brandon Chamberlain, 21, and Kenneth Franklin Bruce, 20, pleaded guilty to facilitation to commit second-degree murder. Driver Charles Balch, 25, entered a similar plea.
The foursome admitted playing a role in the July 28 shooting death of 19-year-old Alisha Quillen in a drive-by shooting in Vestal. Quillen was killed when a three-vehicle caravan of 11 young men showed up outside a house on Willoughby Road and at least four of those men opened fire on a crowd of people.
Lawless, Chamberlain and Bruce concede via their pleas that they fired some of those 22 shots.
Gangstaz with a Kapital G, dawg
On the bright side, I suppose, all four gangsta-wanna-bes received the minimum 8-year sentence, but will be allowed a shot at probation. I’m surprised they’re not already on some form of probation. Prosecutors are hoping the Fantastic Four will be able to help convict the plot’s mastermind (and I use that term very loosely) Corey McNew, and another dimwitted gunman, Christopher Bieszcz.
In a show of the kind of class and decorum one would expect from an alleged drive-by gangsta-wanna-be, McNew did a little victory dance during an earlier hearing when prosecutors failed to make their case and first-degree murder charges against McNew and Balch were tossed out.
Prosecutors have been trying to resurrect their case against McNew ever since.
At a preliminary hearing in September, Knox County General Sessions Court Judge Tony Stansberry tossed out first-degree murder charges against McNew and Balch after Nichols failed to produce evidence either knew gunfire would erupt on the day Quillen was killed.
When Stansberry announced his ruling, McNew leapt from his seat, flung his hands into the air in a sign of victory and shouted, “Yes!” Nichols, standing a few feet away, was visibly angry.
John Gill, special counsel to Nichols, would not say Friday why Nichols had agreed to strike deals with the three gunmen. Authorities say there is no question that either one of those gunmen or Bieszcz killed Quillen. McNew was unarmed.
“This is an ongoing case,” Gill said. “There are a lot of unusual aspects to it. Everything we’re doing, we’re doing in consultation with the families of the victim. We’re trying to get the best result based on the proof available.”
So, when you think Knoxville, don’t just think hayseeds, banjos, mountains and moonshine. Think drive-bys and bad-ass white trash cracker-ass gangstas. Their parents must be so proud.
October 19th, 2005 at 8:19 pm
Not it
Today’s dose of NIF – News, Interesting & Funny … Just Wednesday
October 20th, 2005 at 11:04 am
Knoxville Justice
In a rare second WTW (White Trash Wednesday) post Preston Taylor Holmes of Six Meat Buffer chronicled Knoxville’s current version of Boy’s In The Hood – here
In a going story of OJ level bumbling at the DA level and plea deals for possible murders…
December 5th, 2005 at 12:31 pm
I think you are white trash for writing a story without all of the facts. Most of what the prosecution has is heresay and not physical evidence. If I were the mother of that girl I would be appalled at the trash that is being written and also the games that are being played in this so called justice system in Knoxville County. They were all involved they should all get the same punishment. He said She said just doesn’t cut it. If that were my daughter I would want the BULLET that killed her and the man that put it into her. These stories you write affect peoples lives. Show some consideration for the families all of those involved. Oh yeah it’s easy for you to blame the parents to say you bet they are proud. What do you know??? If you have kids you better watch what you say because it might come back to bite you right where it hurts. The Heart. Just because your kids make wrong choices does not mean you don’t love them or try to support them and does not mean it’s your fault. I feel for that girls mother and father. Was their fault she was a girlfriend to the Drug Dealer who was also shooting a gun. Before you run your mouth on the Internet, TV or Newspaper get your facts and get some class.