On a tragic day in July of 2018, the life of Jonathon 'Johnny' Paul Hamlett, a 40-year-old male, was cut short in a violent encounter at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. A skilled master welder and an avid outdoorsman, he was known for his love of family, fishing, and hunting. The unfortunate events unfolded at his residence on Benjestown Road in the Northaven area, where an attempted robbery turned into a homicide.
During the incident, both Johnny Hamlett and a 42-year-old woman named
Cherrie Bynum were shot. Hamlett succumbed to a fatal gunshot wound to the head at the scene. Bynum, despite being shot multiple times, managed to escape and drive to a nearby fire station to seek help. Her survival was crucial in the subsequent investigation that led to the identification of the suspects.
Within days of the shooting, law enforcement located two suspects, Beau Corder and Erick Schermerhorn, who were both 39 years old at the time. They were discovered by police in Southaven, Mississippi, asleep in the bed of a pickup truck. Inside the vehicle, authorities found several long guns. Both men were taken into custody without incident, and investigators later recovered the weapons used in the shooting.
A grand jury indicted both Corder and Schermerhorn in August of 2018. They faced a litany of serious charges, including premeditated first-degree murder, murder in the commission of a felony, attempted first-degree murder, attempted especially aggravated robbery, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The prosecution of the case was handled by the Shelby County District Attorney's office, marking the beginning of the legal proceedings to bring justice for the death of Johnny Hamlett.
