Vernon Lee McCraney took all of three minutes Wednesday morning to hear charges of capital murder and aggravated assault against him in the June 7 shooting of a 14-year-old girl.
McCraney, 19, appeared before Jefferson County District Court Judge John Kearney via Zoom for the second-straight day and was ordered to be held in the Dub Brassell Detention Center without bond. If convicted, McCraney could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty for capital murder.
Funeral employees identified the victim as Janija McGown. Authorities declined to confirm her identity, citing her age.
Bail was set at $75,000 secured for McCraney in a probable cause hearing Tuesday. He was charged with aggravated assault, accused of pulling a gun on another male while sitting in a vehicle with a female during a Friday night altercation at a Union Avenue apartment complex.
An aggravated assault conviction carries a sentence of up to six years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
During Wednesday's hearing, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones said the June 7 incident occurred on Spruce Street and involved a group of four to six young males shooting "at the direction of a house down the street." Jones added that officers found approximately 70 shell casings at the scene.
The victim, Jones said, was the passenger in a vehicle parked in the front yard of the residence where the shooting occurred.
"During this process of the shooting, the driver backed away to get away from the shooting," Jones said. "She pulled over a couple of blocks away and found that her car had actually been shot and the 14-year-old victim in the passenger seat had been hit with a bullet and ultimately expired. She was pronounced dead on the scene a little bit later."
Pine Bluff police had suspected that the gunfire came from West 23rd Avenue and South Maple Street, according to a news release after the shooting.
Authorities identified McCraney as one of the young males involved in the shooting. Jones said McCraney, who was released from jail in November after being suspected of a September homicide on Lilac Street, gave an alibi that "did not check out," leading to him being charged with capital murder.
Police are looking for a second suspect in the shooting, Keundre Parker, 16, according to reports. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts is asked to call the police detective office at (870) 730-2090.
"We hope to ultimately find everyone involved," Jones said after the hearing.
McCraney's first court date for the aggravated assault charge in the Union Avenue incident is July 30. His first court date in the homicide is Aug. 21. Kearney said a public defender will be appointed to represent him in both cases.