Trial begins for Philadelphia man accused in gunshot slaying of friend in Lower Merion

NORRISTOWN — A Philadelphia man will let a judge decide his fate on homicide charges in connection with the alleged gunshot slaying of his friend as they traveled in a van together along City Avenue in Lower Merion Township.

Tyreese D. Quinerley, 39, of the 2700 block of North Dover Street, waived his right to a jury trial on Monday, opting to allow Montgomery County Judge William R. Carpenter to weigh evidence and act as the factfinder at a nonjury trial as he faces charges of first- and third-degree murder, persons not to possess a firearm and possession of an instrument of crime in connection with the alleged 11 p.m. April 14, 2024, gunshot slaying of Jefferson Shackford near the intersection of City and Cardinal avenues in Lower Merion.

Assistant District Attorney William Harry Highland III and co-prosecutor Siobhan Harding are seeking a conviction of first-degree murder, which is an intentional killing, and carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment upon conviction.

But defense lawyer Thomas C. Egan III said Quinerley will wage an intoxication defense, specifically claim that he was under the influence of the drug PCP at the time of the shooting.

“Our defense of the case is intoxication because of the chronic PCP usage and the PCP usage that night that we can corroborate not only through the drug results of the forensic pathologist but also through a number of witnesses who verify that they used PCP all the time and that it altered the mental states of both of them,” Egan revealed during a break in the trial.

“So, we’re seeking to have the homicide downgraded from a first-degree murder to a third-degree murder,” Egan added.

Third-degree murder is a killing with malice or hardness of heart or recklessness of consequences and is punishable by a maximum possible sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison upon conviction.

Under the law, voluntary intoxication is a defense to only one crime, first-degree murder. Voluntary intoxication negates the specific intent required for first-degree murder, so it becomes a malcious killing, or third-degree murder.

Testimony revealed that Quinerley and Shackford were best friends who were known to use PCP together. Commonly known as “angel dust,” PCP is a street drug that has mind-altering effects, can alter mood and is often mixed with marijuana.

Dr. Ian Hood, the forensic pathologist who performed an autopsy on Shackford, testified PCP and marijuana were also found in Shackford’s system on the night he was killed.

Quinerley is expected to testify in his own defense when the trial resumes on Tuesday.

Hood determined Shackford died from two gunshot wounds, one that entered his back and the other to his left upper arm and the death was ruled a homicide. “Both of these bullets hit his lungs. The gunshot wounds were the only cause of his death. He was an otherwise healthy 39-year-old man,” Hood testified on Monday.

Shackford’s relatives wept in the courtroom as photos of the victim’s wounds were displayed on a large projection screen. Quinerley did not look at the projection screen and avoided looking at the photos.

Two female relatives left the courtroom in tears, their wails of grief echoing in the hallway outside, as prosecutors also showed the judge police bodycam footage that depicted Shackford’s body lying on City Avenue after he was shot.

Two civilian witnesses testified they were traveling together in a vehicle southbound on City Avenue when they observed a conversion van traveling erratically behind them and then pass them at a high rate of speed before coming to a stop at a red traffic signal. The witnesses testified the driver of the van exited the van, brandished a handgun and fired two shots into the van. The couple testified they were so frightened they quickly left the scene.

The investigation began about 11 p.m. April 14 when Lower Merion police responded to the area of City and Cardinal avenues after a male called 911 and “was yelling and kept disconnecting with the 911 operators,” according to a criminal complaint filed by county Detective Heather Long and Lower Merion Detective David Herbst.

Testimony revealed detectives ultimately traced several of the 911 calls to Quinerley who could be heard uttering the name “Creek.” Detectives said Shackford went by the nickname “Creek” and had a tattoo on his stomach that read “King Creek.”

Lower Merion Police Officer Joseph Crouse testified he arrived on the scene and observed a green Chevrolet Express van in the southbound right-hand lane of City Avenue and an unresponsive male, identified as Shackford, on the ground outside the passenger side of the van and Quinerely standing over Shackford.

Crouse testified Quinerley, the operator of the van, initially indicated Shackford “fell out” of the van. But moments later Quinerley claimed that he was traveling south on City Avenue when he observed the victim lying on the roadway and stopped to help him.

Crouse testified he did not detect the odor of alcohol or drugs on Quinerley while speaking with Quinerley. Crouse testified he took Quinerley’s identifying information and allowed him to leave.

But as Shackford was being prepared by emergency medical officials for transport to a hospital they observed what they believed was a gunshot wound to Shackford’s side.

Crouse testified he then reached out to Quinerley by phone and asked Quinerley to return to the scene or to the Lower Merion police station to be questioned further about the incident but Quinerley did not return that night.

Shackford was transported to Lankenau Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

County Detective Daniel Cha testified investigators found a projectile at the scene of the shooting. When detectives searched Quinerley’s van two days later they found two fired cartridge casings inside the vehicle as well as suspected packages of crack cocaine, according to testimony.

Long testified Shackford was found possessing a cellphone. Detectives found a second cellphone, discarded near a construction fence about 30 feet from where Shackford was found lying on the ground, and linked that phone to Quinerley, Long testified.

During the investigation, detectives obtained cellphone call detail records that showed there had been numerous cellphone communications between Shackford and Quinerley on April 13.

Detectives also obtained video surveillance footage from the area which depicted the van stop near City and Cardinal avenues where Quinerley allegedly got out of the van, stood near the center of the roadway and fired two gunshots into his vehicle.

Quinerley, according to Long’s testimony and the video surveillance footage shown to the judge in court, then walked to the passenger side of the vehicle and could be seen removing the victim from the vehicle and placing him on the ground.

In court papers, detectives alleged Quinerley has “an extensive criminal history,” including an arrest and guilty plea to aggravated assault in 2009 and arrests and guilty pleas to possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in 2014 and 2016 which prohibited from possessing a firearm.