Detective: Young stood alongside brother as he gunned down man at Peachtree Mall

Surveillance video shows Tekoa Chantrell Young and Terell Raquez McFarland standing alongside Xzavaien Jones on March 26 as he gunned down a man at Peachtree Mall in March, according to testimony Friday in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Young, Jones’ 23-year-old sister, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Anthony Meredith, who police said was shot in retaliation of the death of an OG Crip gang member who was killed in November.

Arrested on April 18 after surrendering to authorities, Jones pleaded not guilty on April 20 to murder and weapon charges.

Columbus police said they are still searching for 25-year-old McFarland.

Authorities said they were called to the March 26 shooting at 3131 Manchester Expressway around 7:28 p.m. When they arrived, they found the 24-year-old victim lying near the food court entrance with approximately 10 gunshot wounds.

Meredith, who was visited the mall to purchase Easter clothes for his 3-year-old daughter, was rushed to Midtown Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 8:05 p.m., Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said.

Detective Sgt. Ken Hudson said he spoke with witnesses who reported seeing a newer model Hyundai Sonata leaving the scene with the gunman and another man.

Investigators then obtained surveillance video of the parking area. It shows a grayish Saturn ION pull into a nearby parking spot around 7:15 p.m. and a black woman later identified as Young exiting the car, Hudson said.

With her hair styled in an updo, the woman stood outside the vehicle dressed in a purple shirt with yellow logo, tan pants and gray Converse shoes, the detective noted.

“She walks to the end of the parking grove where she can observe the food court, and that’s where she stands until the suspect’s vehicle is seen backing into the suspect’s parking spot,” Hudson testified.

Jones and McFarland then stepped out of the Saturn and approached Young before they all went to the food court together.

“On the food court (surveillance) camera, you then see the victim whirling on the ground as Xzavaien Jones steps toward the victim, apparently firing into the victim as he is lying and rolling on the ground,” Hudson told the court. “All three suspects are seen running from the scene.”

The men left in the Hyundai while the woman left in the Saturn, police testified.

After speaking with multiple eyewitnesses, police identified Jones as the shooter. While searching the Forest Road residence he shares with Young, police located a photo album featuring a group photo of Christopher Twitty, Young and their child.

Detectives said Twitty is an OG Crip gang member who brought Jones into the group before he was fatally shot on Nov. 21 at his Wickam Drive home, officials said.

Hudson said Jones killed Meredith, who hasn’t been identified as a gang member, as revenge for Twitty’s death. Though no one has been charged in connection with the November incident, Meredith was named as a person of interest in that case, police confirmed.

Hudson said they interviewed Young, who has cooperated with police during the investigation but lied when she said she didn’t go the mall on March 26. Police seized her phone and obtained a warrant to search it.

“She said she left work at Metro PCS around 7 p.m. that day and went to the strip mall at Columbus Park Crossing and to go to Marshalls,” Hudson testified.

Police said surveillance video confirmed that she did go to Marshalls, but didn’t enter the store until 7:39 p.m. that night. She was dressed in what appeared to be the same attire seen on the woman standing with the gunman as he killed Meredith, according to police.

“I drove from the Peachtree Mall to Marshalls on Monday afternoon during rush hour and it took me exactly 9 minutes to make that drive up to 1-85,” he said. “That would give her more than enough time to flee the Peachtree Mall and arrive at the Marshalls trying to give herself an alibi.”

Hudson said they found incriminating evidence on that phone but declined to provide further information.

Attorney Mark Shelnutt, who represented Young, said his client was visiting the Public Safety Center Thursday night to retrieve her property when officials arrested her in connection with Meredith’s death.

Shelnutt motioned that the charge be dismissed, stating that his client being present during the shooting wasn’t enough probable cause to bound her case over to Superior Court.

Assistant District Attorney Katie Hartford then argued that there was enough evidence. She said Young’s actions indicated that she was involved in a plot to murder Meredith.

“Sgt. Hudson testified that you can see her on the video standing and waiting there in the parking lot for the gunman as if there was a plan,” Hartford said. “That’s what that seems to suggest to me, waiting for him and then going directly to the target. She was surveilling the victim until that moment the gunman arrived.”

Young was ordered held in the Muscogee County Jail without bond. Her case was bound over to Superior Court.

Shelnutt remains hopeful that his client’s will be vindicated.

“I believe that in the long run when this thing goes to trial, if it goes that far, that she’s going to be vindicated,” Shelnutt said. “She’s maintained her innocence. I hope when everything is said and done, the truth is going to come out that she didn’t have nothing to do with this.”

This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Detective: Young stood alongside brother as he gunned down man at Peachtree Mall."