Case dismissed in S. Main murder
‘It’s like it never happened for’ driver of two who killed nurse
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A 26-year-old woman charged with being an accessory to the murder of a nurse in 2013 on South Main had her case dismissed earlier this month, leaving the victim’s family with questions.
Jerrica Norfleet initially pleaded guilty to a felony — being an accessory after the fact to the murder of David Santucci — and was placed on diversion in August, but that put her job in jeopardy. On Sept. 12 in Shelby County Criminal Court, her guilty plea was withdrawn and the case dismissed.
“It’s like it never happened for her,” said her lawyer, Joseph McClusky. But for the victim’s mother, Darlin Fugit, it happened.
In addition to the toll taken on the family after the murder, Fugit had to end her 25-year career as a flight attendant. A requirement in her work was to be able to perform CPR, and she couldn’t bear to do it.
“It reminds me of David being on the pavement,” she said in a recent interview.
On Aug. 12, 2013, Santucci was found lying in the street wounded in the chest. Police had received a call about shots fired at 1:48 a.m. between Pearl’s Oyster House and the Orpheum theater.
Norfleet testified she had been riding around with two men, Dondre Johnson and Mario Patterson. They spotted the victim walking alone. Johnson got out of the car, exchanged words with the victim and “the gun went off,” she said. Norfleet jumped from the passenger seat into the driver’s seat and started to drive away. The two men got in the back.
She testified against them, helping prosecutors secure two first-degree murder convictions and life sentences. According to trial testimony, Norfleet claimed ignorance to plans of the men to commit a robbery, although she took a picture of Johnson with a mask and gun. She heard talk in the car about where to find some money, but