Court appearance reveals motive for south Jackson murder
JACKSON, Tenn. — Lavadious McKinney, Lazachary Rhodes and Kelvin Polk made their first Jackson City Court appearance Friday morning regarding a homicide in Jackson.
According to court documents, Jackson Police Department responded to a shooting at 87 Holly Street — McKinney’s home — in Jackson on Tuesday.
When officers arrived, Brian Warlick was found dead inside the home with multiple gun shot wounds.
A 911 caller described a white Chevrolet leaving the home, and officers later stopped a car matching the description and detained Rhodes, Polk and a fourteen-year-old.
In McKinney’s statement, he and the victim had been arguing for the past few weeks, so he called his grandson, Rhodes, to bring him a gun.
Investigators say Rhodes and Polk waited in a parked car across the street while the victim arrived and went inside McKinney’s home.
Rhodes and Polk, both armed, then entered the home to rob Warlick.
“McKinney stated that Polk picked up the money and phone and ran out the door,” Judge Blake Anderson said. “McKinney stated that Rhodes moved toward the door, but stopped and shot Warlick multiple times.”
Rhodes and Polk then fled the scene.
When officers found the car with Polk and Rhodes, they recovered three handguns, one matching the casings collected at the scene.
Also, a search warrant on the vehicle provided GPS information that showed the car was at the home at the time of the shooting.
All three men are being charged with first degree murder, murder in perpetration of aggravated robbery, especially aggravated robbery, and possessing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
McKinney faces additional charges of felon in possession of a weapon.
At court Friday morning, the state requested all three be held for a hearing.
For more local crime stories, click here.
