SAVANNAH, GA (June 19, 2013): Witnesses who became involved have helped Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police arrest suspects in two of five homicides in the west Savannah area in the past year and detectives are seeking more help in the other three.
Homicide detectives on Tuesday arrested and charged Mark Allen Adkins, 22, with the murder of Frederick Early, 24, and two counts of aggravated assault for the shooting of Briona Moore, 17, and Pamphylia Baynes, 20. Police found the three with gunshot wounds at Eagle and Richards streets at 12:48 p.m. on May 16.
Homicide detectives on June 10 also arrested Greg Griffin, 20, for the shooting death of Rasheen “Bo Cat” Alexander, 19, at Eagle and Augusta streets the day before.
“Witnesses are the key to solving these crimes,” said SCMPD Chief Willie Lovett. “Clearly, some residents of the west Savannah area are frustrated with crime in their area and are coming forward. Without that, we probably would not have been able to solve these crimes. Now, we need help with the others. We are certain that someone knows who committed these crimes and probably others. They can help us get dangerous people off the streets.”
Residents of the area had surrounded the crime scene of the June 9 shooting, demanding police action and offering information. They reported that the victim and shooter were seen running on Eagle streets before the shooter fired several shots at Alexander, of the 400 block of Carolyn Street. Some were fired after the victim had fallen. Witness information led detectives to Griffin.
Patrol officers found the two victims of the May 16 shootings on the ground and the third supporting herself on a brick wall when they arrived. Witnesses described a male who opened fire on them and then left in a white car with tinted windows. Other witness information led detectives to Adkins as the suspect. Both females are recovering from their wounds.
Detectives still are looking for additional information in the shooting deaths of a 51-year-old man on Cleland Street, June 20, 2012, a 33-year-old man on the 1300 block of West Bay Street on March 13, and a 24-year-old college student in a park at the Hudson Hill Community Center on Hudson Street Nov. 3.
Maurice Lipsey, 51, of the 600 block of Cleland Street, was found shot to death beside a relative’s house on the 500 block of Cleland in the Hudson Hill area about 7 a.m. on June 20, 2012. He had been shot multiple times. Metro detectives and family members of the victim had met with news media representatives in an attempt to solicit information on the shooting death, but still need information to identify the shooter.
William Bass Jr., 33, was found shot to death beside West Bay Street by patrol officers responding to a shooting call about 1 a.m. He was clutching two $1 bills when he died.
William George Anderson, 24, was found near a picnic table in the park with multiple gunshot wounds about 8 a.m. last November.
Anyone with information on any of the cases is asked to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
A confidential Tip Line also is open directly to investigators at (912) 525-3124.
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