On a summer evening in 2020, the life of 35-year-old Roderick Ellis, an African American male, was cut short in a tragic series of events that began in West Memphis, Arkansas, and ended in Memphis, Tennessee. It was on August 2nd that Ellis was the victim of a robbery at a motel. In a fateful decision, he chose to pursue the individual who had wronged him, all while on the phone with 911. The chase crossed state lines, over the Mississippi River, and into the downtown area of Memphis.
There, near the intersection of Riverside and Metal Museum Drive, the pursuit came to a violent and final end. Roderick Ellis was found shot to death.
The investigation into the death of Roderick Ellis involved a multi-agency effort, with law enforcement determined to bring those responsible to justice. Their work led them to identify Montarious Dyson as a primary suspect. A U.S. Marshals task force successfully located and apprehended Dyson in Marion, Arkansas, on August 20, 2020. He was taken into custody without incident at an apartment complex and subsequently charged with first-degree murder for his role in the death of Roderick Ellis.
The search for justice did not end with Dyson's arrest. Law enforcement officials continued to pursue another individual believed to be involved in the crime. On January 29, 2021, the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, acting in concert with the West Memphis and Crittenden County Violent Crime Units, located and arrested a second suspect, Gregory Brown. Brown was found at a residence in West Memphis and was also taken into custody without incident. He too faced a charge of first-degree murder, bringing a measure of closure to the friends and family of Roderick Ellis.
