In the winter of 2011, the life of 26-year-old Walter Jermaine Allen, known affectionately as 'Mac Zoe,' was tragically cut short. On February 10, 2011, Allen was killed in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. For over a decade, the circumstances surrounding his death remained a painful mystery for his family and community, a cold case waiting for a break that would bring those responsible to justice.
That long-awaited breakthrough came in February 2024, when a federal grand jury in Memphis handed down a superseding indictment, breathing new life into the investigation of Allen's death. Three men, alleged to be members of the Unknown Vice Lords –Ghost Mob, a violent street gang, were charged in connection with the 2011 homicide. The indictment charges Edward Earl Allen Jr., 40, known as 'E-Money,' of San Bernardino, California; Vincent Grant, 40, known as 'V Slash,' of Memphis; and Deandre Rodgers, 27, known as 'Dre,' also of Memphis.
According to the Department of Justice, the indictment alleges that the three men used and discharged a firearm to carry out a premeditated murder. The motive, as outlined by prosecutors, was to gain entry into and to maintain and increase their positions within the ranks of the UVL–Ghost Mob. This act of violence was allegedly a calculated step in their criminal enterprise, which is purported to engage in racketeering, murder, robbery, and drug trafficking. The charges against the three men include causing death by the use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The indictment was the result of a collaborative investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Memphis Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. This case is being prosecuted as part of the Criminal Division's Memphis Violent Crime Initiative, a program aimed at curbing gang-related violence. If convicted, each of the three defendants faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, with the possibility of the death penalty. After thirteen years of unanswered questions, the indictment offers a path toward accountability for the death of Walter Jermaine Allen.
