In March of 2021, a burst of gunfire at the intersection of Sevier and University Streets in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, claimed the life of 26-year-old Carlos Vazquez. Vazquez, a man from Murfreesboro, was shot multiple times and later succumbed to his injuries. During the incident, a woman was also grazed by a bullet but survived.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led Murfreesboro Police to identify 25-year-old Markeace Perkins as a primary suspect.
When officers attempted to apprehend him, a chaotic chase ensued. Perkins fled in a stolen vehicle and, in his desperation to escape, allegedly stole a second vehicle and attempted to take a third. The pursuit came to a dramatic end when Perkins crashed the vehicle, going airborne down an embankment at the corner of Middle Tennessee and Samsonite boulevards. After being treated for facial injuries sustained in the crash, he was taken into custody.
Perkins was subsequently charged with first-degree murder for the death of Carlos Vazquez and attempted murder for the woman who was injured. His charges also included unlawful possession of a weapon while committing a felony, reckless endangerment, theft, and vandalism. While Perkins was in custody, law enforcement continued to search for a second individual believed to be involved, with authorities indicating another possible suspect was on the run.
Three months after the fatal shooting, a second suspect, 28-year-old Dimetrius Raymond Ford, was charged in connection with the murder. Ford was apprehended by federal agents in Detroit, Michigan, in late March of that year. He was believed to have been the driver of the initial getaway vehicle on the night of the shooting. Following his arrest, Ford was transferred to Tennessee to face charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. In March 2024, both Markeace Perkins and Dimetrius Raymond Ford were found guilty for their roles in the death of Carlos Vazquez.
