A Memphis murder suspect has been taken into custody after falling through a ceiling while attempting to hide from authorities in an attic space.
On Monday, Aug. 26, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) confirmed in a news release that they had captured Deario Wilkerson, 20, amid his alleged involvement with the killing of Troy Cunningham, who was shot to death on April 2, 2024.
The victim was found at the 1500 block of N. Merton Street in the Tennessee city, before “an arrest warrant for first-degree murder and reckless endangerment-deadly weapon was issued for Wilkerson’s arrest,” just over a month later on May 9, the release stated.
“The case was adopted for a fugitive investigation by the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Memphis,” authorities confirmed, adding that the TRVFTF managed to track the suspect down to a residence in the 1400 block of N. Merton in Memphis on Aug. 26, which is where images showed the ceiling had collapsed after he attempted to hide in the attic.
Photos shared by the U.S. Marshals Service showed a hole in the ceiling of the property, while dust and chunks of debris were seen on the kitchen floor.
“Deputy marshals, with the assistance of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Memphis Police Department’s Fugitive Apprehension Teams, surrounded the home,” the release stated, adding that Wilkerson “was not injured from the fall and was taken into custody with no further incident.”
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Memphis Police Department did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.
Per a previous release shared by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office on May 8, Wilkerson is one of three people suspected of being involved in Cunningham’s death. He hadn’t been arrested at the time of the release.
The Attorney’s Office confirmed the victim had been “discovered on the sidewalk near Peres and Merton Street, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the back of his head” while trying to run away from the suspects on April 2.
“Additionally, during the incident, gunfire struck the vehicle of two female victims traveling westbound on Peres Avenue, resulting in one of the women sustaining a gunshot wound to the shoulder,” the release said at the time.
Per local media outlet WREG, the female victim received treatment in hospital, but was in “noncritical condition.”
What a freaking dummy. He didn’t realize the sheetrock wouldn’t hold his weight. What kind of name is Deario? How is it pronounced? Just curious.
And some say there is no God.Be sure your sins will find you out