In a tragic turn of events stemming from an online advertisement, Larry Wilkins Jr., a 37-year-old man from Memphis, Tennessee, was killed on March 9, 2014. Wilkins, a father of six and a FedEx package handler, had placed a Craigslist ad to sell his 2006 Ford Mustang. He arranged to meet three prospective buyers at the Sycamore Lake Apartments on Sycamore View Road and Raleigh LaGrange Road, the complex where he lived with his fiancée.
The meeting, however, was a setup for a robbery.
The three individuals who responded to the ad had no intention of purchasing the vehicle. Instead, their plan was to steal it. During the encounter, Larry Wilkins Jr. was shot multiple times in the back and pronounced dead at the scene. The assailants then fled in his Mustang.
The investigation that followed led to the apprehension of three suspects: Martiness Henderson, then 19, Brandon Vance, 23, and his brother Walter Collins, 20. Investigators determined that the motive for the fatal shooting was the theft of Wilkins' car. Vance's own vehicle was left behind at the scene of the crime, and the following day, Henderson and Collins were seen driving the stolen Mustang.
All three men were subsequently charged with first-degree murder. Following their trials, Martiness Henderson, Brandon Vance, and Walter Collins were all convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Larry Wilkins Jr. The legal proceedings included an overturned conviction for Henderson, which was later reinstated, ensuring that all three individuals responsible for the senseless act of violence would be held accountable.
