In the early morning hours of April 12, 2021, a fatal shooting in a southeast Shelby County subdivision claimed the life of 30-year-old Reginald Palmer Jr. The incident unfolded in the 7200 block of Blue Grouse Lane, where Palmer had a planned meeting with another individual. During this encounter, Palmer was shot.
Despite being mortally wounded with a bullet in his side, Palmer managed to drive away from the scene.
He urged his girlfriend, who was in the front passenger seat, to call 911 for help. Their vehicle eventually struck a curb and came to a stop on a sidewalk in front of a house on Easterly Lane. Tragically, Reginald Palmer Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office soon identified a suspect, Jeffery Q. Boyle, who was 31 years old at the time. A crucial piece of evidence came to light when Boyle reportedly returned to the crime scene, which was already swarming with deputies, to retrieve a cell phone he had dropped. After grabbing the phone, he fled from the officers. Boyle was apprehended later that same day at a residence in Cordova. During his arrest, authorities recovered the cell phone, a pistol, and seven bags of marijuana.
Following the investigation, a Shelby County Grand Jury indicted Jeffery Q. Boyle on multiple charges. These included first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony, unlawful possession of marijuana with intent to sell and deliver, and tampering with evidence. He was subsequently freed on a $125,000 bond.
