In Session: Murder charges dropped in 2022 Quacco Road shootout where woman was killed
This column is part of a weekly round-up of notable grand jury indictments and court decisions, following through on cases reported by Savannah Morning News public safety reporter Drew Favakeh. If there are cases you're curious about, email Drew at AFavakeh@Gannett.com.
Man found guilty of two counts of tampering with evidence, murder charges dropped
On June 7, a Chatham County jury found Ruben Rios guilty of two counts of tampering with evidence. Georgia law dictates the minimum sentence for tampering with evidence is one year, while the maximum sentence is 10 years. An accusation in that case was filed on June 6 of this year.
Chatham County Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Brian DeBlasiis chose to not prosecute Rios for the murder counts due to "the defendant's agreed upon cooperation with the State," according to a court document.
According to a press release issued by the Chatham County Police Department (CCPD), Rios was arrested and charged on May 28, 2022, with the death of 23-year-old Maranda Dover, who was found shot to death on the night of April 10, 2022, inside a vehicle at a mobile home park on the 800 block of Quacco Road. At the time, CCPD detectives did not believe the crime was random. Rios was taken into custody in Chicago, Illinois.
In August 2022, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Rios and a co-defendant for the same incident. Rios was indicted for two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
Dwayne McCloud was named as a co-defendent in the indictment. He was charged with felony murder, armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to the indictment, McCloud robbed two men who then chased down McCloud’s vehicle. McCloud and the two men got into a shoot-out in their respective vehicles, according to the indictment. According to the indictment, Rios allegedly shot at McCloud's vehicle in which Dover was an occupant, killing her.
On April 21, 2023, Jonah Pine, a defense attorney for Rios, filed a motion to suppress any and all statements made by Rios to law enforcement officers during and after his arrest in Chicago, where CCPD detectives had traveled to interview him. At the Chicago Police Department’s 16th Precinct, Pine alleged that Rios spoke about the incident without an attorney and without a proper reading of his Miranda rights.
Jury trial in McCloud’s case is scheduled for June 17.
Two men indicted for March 2024 murder
On June 12, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Vershan Ervin and Brandon Jones for malice murder, two counts of felony murder, criminal attempt to commit a felony, aggravated assault, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Jones was also indicted for cruelty to children in the first degree and aggravated assault.
The indictment alleges that on Feb. 21, Ervin and Jones shot and killed Phillippe Moore. According to media reports, CCPD arrested Ervin and Jones on March 13, in connection with the shooting that occurred at the Viera at Whitemarsh apartment complex on Johnny Mercer Boulevard.
Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@Gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: chatham county georgia court updates for week of June 16 2024
