NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A North Philadelphia man is on trial for murder in Montgomery County. Prosecutors say he shot his best friend in his van on City Avenue, pulled him out and dumped him in the street near Saint Joseph’s University, and told police he didn’t know him.
Tyreese Quinerley, 39, is accused of shooting and killing Jefferson Shackford, 39, on April 14 last year. He is charged with first- and third-degree murder and weapons violations.
Quinerley has opted for a bench trial, which means a judge, rather than a jury, will decide his case.
Prosecutors on Monday wrapped up their case quickly, presenting several witnesses, including two people who testified they saw someone driving Quinerley’s van erratically on City Avenue, then saw the driver get out and fire two shots into the van.
Prosecutors showed surveillance video from the Lower Merion side of City Avenue, near Cardinal Avenue, showing Quinerley pulling a body out of his van.
Quinerley did call 911.
Prosecutors showed police body camera video in which Quinerley tells officers he doesn’t know the person lying in the street, he’s just a concerned citizen. Officers didn’t realize Shackford had been shot until paramedics cut off his coat and shirt and saw the blood and injuries.
But cell phone records show messages and calls between the two men prior to the shooting.
Quinerley’s lawyer, Tom Egan, will present the defendant’s case on Tuesday morning. He says family members told investigators Quinerley and Shackford routinely used drugs, including PCP, together. He says he’ll argue for the lesser charge of third-degree murder and not first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.