In September of 2019, a downtown Memphis restaurant worker, Casey Tinker, was found deceased in his car in the 3800 block of Maid Marian Lane; he had been shot multiple times. According to family, Tinker was returning home from his job at Flight Restaurant when the incident occurred. An investigation led police to DeMarcus Wooten, who was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in connection with Tinker's death.
According to a witness and an unnamed co-defendant, they were in a stolen Jeep when they stopped and Wooten, along with the co-defendant, attempted to rob Tinker. The witness stated that when Tinker began to fight back, Wooten fired two shots into Tinker's vehicle. Despite being shot, Tinker was able to drive away from the initial scene before succumbing to his injuries.
Further investigation into Wooten's activities revealed his involvement in another homicide that occurred in June of 2019. In the early morning hours of June 12th, Wooten was a passenger in a car when he fired a shot at another vehicle at the intersection of Mt. Moriah and Willow Road, striking the car's door but not injuring the driver. Minutes later, at approximately 2:30 a.m., the vehicle Wooten was in stopped at a red light at Mt. Moriah and Quince Road. For no apparent reason, Wooten shot 49-year-old Willie C. Gandy in the back as he was crossing the street in the crosswalk.
Witnesses reported that after shooting Gandy, Wooten instructed the driver of the car to make a U-turn and as they passed by the scene, Wooten laughed and commented on Gandy's body. Later, when a witness sent him a text message asking about the shooting, Wooten, a known gang member with the nickname 'Hot Head,' replied, 'He dead' accompanied by a smiling emoji. During the investigation, a recorded phone call captured Demarcus Wooten discussing a homicide on Mt. Moriah. While he denied committing the murder, he acknowledged that if the police had his gun, he could be charged.
In December 2021, a jury convicted Demarcus Z. Wooten of first-degree murder for the death of Willie C. Gandy, as well as attempted first-degree murder and employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony. The first-degree murder conviction carried an automatic sentence of life in prison. He was later sentenced for the other offenses. The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the judgments of the trial court.
