In the early hours of December 29, 2022, Darnell Appling, a 25-year-old Black/African American man, was found shot to death in a parking lot in the 1000 block of North Watkins in Memphis, Tennessee. Appling had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The investigation into his death quickly focused on a threatening Facebook message that had been sent to him prior to the shooting.
Appling's mother provided police with screenshots of the ominous message from a Facebook user named 'KashStMack,'
which read, 'Put your on a leash before something happens to you.' This message became a crucial piece of evidence, and investigators were able to link the social media account to 24-year-old Lamarcus Smith. It was discovered that Appling and Smith had been friends for four years, but their relationship had soured because Appling was in a relationship with Smith's ex-girlfriend.
Lamarcus Smith turned himself in to authorities on January 9, 2023, on unrelated aggravated assault warrants. During questioning, he admitted that the 'KashStMack' Facebook account belonged to him, but he initially denied any involvement in Appling's murder, claiming he was with his girlfriend at the time of the shooting. However, his alibi fell apart when his girlfriend told police a different story. She informed investigators that Smith had stolen her gun and later confessed to her that he had used it to shoot Appling. A search of the girlfriend's home uncovered two Taurus 9mm handguns, which was the same type of weapon used in the murder.
Following the girlfriend's statement and the discovery of the weapons, Lamarcus Smith was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Darnell Appling. He was held without bond. In a strange turn of events, it was reported that Smith had even shared a GoFundMe link on his Facebook page to raise money for Appling's funeral expenses. Appling was a father of two children and was working as an apprentice electrician at the time of his death.
