Man held in September killing freed

The W.C. "Dub" Brassell Jefferson County Adult Detention Center is shown in this August 2019 photo.
The W.C. "Dub" Brassell Jefferson County Adult Detention Center is shown in this August 2019 photo.

One of four men jailed in connection with one of three homicides that occurred Sept. 3 in Pine Bluff has been released after prosecutors determined the case against him was not strong enough to take to court.

Vernon McCraney, 18, was released Wednesday from the Jefferson County jail, where he had been held in lieu of $500,000 bond since his arrest Sept. 9 in connection with the shooting death of Horace Harrington Jr., as Harrington, 69, sat in the carport of his 3101 Lilac St. home.

Although McCraney, according to court documents, was identified by witnesses as being the shooter in the Harrington homicide, and cellphone records and an Instagram video placed him at 3101 Lilac St. near the time of Harrington's death, Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Hunter said ultimately the case against him was judged to be insufficient for filing formal charges.

"The rule is that once you arrest somebody on probable cause, you've got 60 days to bring formal charges or to release them and the issue of charging somebody takes into consideration other factors such as whether you have enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," Hunter said. "So the decision was made that there was insufficient evidence to charge him at this time so he was released."

Hunter said the investigation will continue and if additional evidence is turned up that points to McCraney's involvement, and that evidence is considered strong enough, charges could be filed at that time.

He did not explicitly say that McCraney is still considered a suspect in Harrington's death but did say it would be up to the evidence to determine how the case is handled moving forward.

"Obviously there was probable cause to hold him for almost 60 days," Hunter said.

"He definitely has been a suspect."

According to court documents, police believe that the shooting death of Harrington was gang-related and that two subsequent killings later that afternoon -- of 17-year-old Emonya Moten at 1704 S. Elm St., and 20-year-old Kavon Mitchell at 25 Needles Drive -- were in retaliation by rival gang members. Court documents maintained that Harrington had family members living in his home who are members of the MOB street gang.

Court documents identified Moten and Mitchell, as well as McCraney, as members of the rival EBK/MG street gang.

Jailed in connection with the deaths of Moten and Mitchell are Hekeryin Cain, 23, who was arrested Sept. 26 in Pine Bluff, Bryant Lamont Smith, 33, who was arrested Sept. 29 in Parsons, Kan., and Rashad Thompson, 17.

It was unclear when Thompson was arrested. Court documents identified all three men as members or associates of the MOB street gang.

Cain and Smith are both being held without bond in the W.C. "Dub" Brassell Detention Center under multiple charges including two counts of capital murder. Because of his age, Thompson is being held in the Jack Jones Juvenile Detention Center.

Thompson, who has not been formally charged, is being held without bond on probable cause in connection with the shootings.

On Nov. 4, additional charges were filed against Smith in connection with a report that he and another inmate had been broadcasting live on Facebook from the jail using a contraband cell phone that had been smuggled into the jail.

Court records indicated that a search of the pod where Smith and Shelton were housed turned up a cell phone in Shelton's bunk and that, the following day, during a phone call monitored by authorities, Smith was heard telling an unidentified woman that he needed $200 to purchase a SIM card for another cell phone he had in his possession.

According to court records, Smith is scheduled to be arraigned in Circuit Court before Judge Alex Guynn via Zoom video conference at 10 a.m. Dec. 7.

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