A Black man, Edgar Wiley Jr., 60, was killed in Memphis, Tennessee, with his death recorded as July 1, 2024 in published memorial information. In the quiet hours when the city is supposed to be sleeping, a violent run of robberies in the Oakhaven area ended with Wiley being shot to death during an attempted robbery at Love’s Truck Stop on Lamar Avenue, a call that drew officers to the scene at about 4:28 a.m. on Tuesday, July 2.
Investigators say the night unraveled fast.
It began at the Woodlake Apartments, where a red 2018 Kia Sorento was stolen from a parking lot sometime between 3 and 4 a.m. Not long after, two workers at a food truck parked at an Exxon on Winchester Road told police they were held at gunpoint and robbed of cash, a cellphone, and car keys. The suspects, they said, fled in an SUV that matched the stolen Sorento.
Minutes later came the confrontation at Love’s. Police say Wiley was killed there as the attempted robbery turned into a homicide, and they believe the same stolen Sorento was tied to the violence. Even after the fatal shooting, the spree didn’t stop. Around 5:03 a.m., officers responded to another robbery at that same Exxon on Winchester, where a man pumping gas said two armed suspects took his wallet and phone before speeding off again in the SUV.
The next night, the pattern repeated at the same location. Police say another victim was robbed at gunpoint at about 11:27 p.m., again by two boys emerging from the Sorento. The victim reported being pistol-whipped before the suspects grabbed his phone, cash, a passport, and a backpack, leaving him injured and shaken as they disappeared into the dark.
The stolen SUV was ultimately found on the afternoon of July 4 outside a home on Bishops Bridge Road. Police say an 18-year-old, Vontavious Muirhead, and an unidentified 13-year-old got out and ran, but both were taken into custody. Authorities allege the pair were responsible for multiple crimes over those two days, and prosecutors charged both teens with first-degree murder in the perpetration of an aggravated robbery, three counts of aggravated robbery, and theft of property. Because the younger suspect is 13, the child’s identity has not been released publicly.
As the case moved into court, jail records showed Muirhead was granted bond set at $1,200,000. The matter was placed under the oversight of Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Christian Johnson, and Muirhead retained attorney Mark Alan Renken. A court date was scheduled for July 16, while hearing information for the 13-year-old was not made publicly available at the time of reporting.
