Transfer proceedings begin for teen charged in Trenary shooting
The possible transfer to adult court for 16-year-old Ranisha Wright began Thursday with a short hearing in Juvenile Court that was closed to the media.
Ranisha Wright, her cousin, 22-yearold McKinney Wright Jr., and Quandarius Richardson, 18, are charged with first-degree murder in the death of Phil Trenary, the CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce.
The teenager’s mother was absent for her first appearance in court but was present on Thursday. She also would not speak to the media.
After court, Ranisha Wright’s lawyer, Samuel Jones, said he has 10 days to decide if he will file a motion to request a mental evaluation for the teenager, who admitted to police that she was with her cousin and Richardson when Trenary was shot.
Also in court was Jennifer Nichols, chief homicide prosecutor with the Shelby County District Attorney General’s office, who said she could not comment on the pending case.
Trenary was shot Sept. 27 as he walked on South Front Street after a chamber event. He was pronounced dead at the Regional Medical Center.
Police have not said how Richardson was developed as a suspected, but he was the first suspect arrested. His arrest followed a high-speed chase across the city that ended in South Memphis, where he crashed the stolen pickup investigators believe was used in the crime into other vehicles, injuring several people.
Richardson, according to the affidavit of complaint, told police he was accompanied by the Wright cousins on the night Trenary was shot.
All three waived their Miranda Rights and told police they were driving around Downtown looking for someone to rob, the affidavit said.
Investigators have not disclosed which of the three they believe fired on Trenary or who was driving the stolen white Ford F-150 pickup.