Jarod Yorkshire Charged in the Murder of Derrick Ragland

A judge ordered Jarod Yorkshire held Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree murder and obstruction of justice in connection with the December 2011 shooting death of 19-year-old Derrick Ragland.

Yorkshire, 21, is the second suspect charged for Ragland’s murder. Raymond Faunteroy‘s trial ended with a hung jury in September.

Charging documents state that Faunteroy shot and killed Ragland at approximately 5:50 p.m. Dec. 19, 2011. Yorkshire, who aided in Faunteroy’s escape from the crime scene that night, is also believed to have intimidated witnesses in Faunteroy’s murder trial.

Ragland was found with multiple gunshot wounds at approximately 5:54 p.m. in the 1000 block of Taylor Street Northeast. He died at a local hospital.

Police believe Faunteroy and Yorkshire decided to kill Ragland in retaliation for using a sham gun sale to rob them at gunpoint just three days earlier, documents say.

A witness known as “White Boy” was riding in the back seat of a car heading down Taussig Street with Yorkshire and another individual. The witness told police it saw Faunteroy alone in an alley, pulling what appeared to be a black mask from his pocket.

Within minutes, documents say the driver of the vehicle heard gunshots. Yorkshire called Faunteroy on his cellphone and directed the driver to pick up Faunteroy several blocks from the crime scene. Faunteroy got in the backseat of the car and admited to killing Ragland, White Boy told police.

Faunteroy was arrested in March 2012. His trial began in July. While the trial was going on, documents say that the driver of the vehicle sought the help of his associate to kill White Boy for agreeing to testify against Faunteroy.

In a recorded phone conversation from August 5, the associate asked Yorkshire if he planned to help kill White Boy. Yorkshire answered, “Well, yeah.”

Yorkshire is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Judge Rhonda Reid Winston on November 25 at 9:30 a.m.

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