NORRISTOWN, P.A. (KYW Newsradio) — A Montgomery County judge ruled against a first-degree murder conviction, but settled on third-degree murder for 39-year-old Tyrese Quinerley for the shooting death of his best friend, 39-year-old Jefferson Shackford.
Quinerley’s lawyer Tom Egan didn’t argue that his client was not the shooter of his best friend back on April 14, 2024, but successfully argued Quinerley was under the influence of drugs to the point his actions didn’t warrant the more serious first-degree murder conviction.
“Quinerley was so high on PCP that he did not fully form the conscious intent to kill, and just because he could go through the motor skills of firing a gun doesn't mean that he was in his right mind at the time he did so,” said Egan.
The shooting happened around 10:30 p.m. as Quinerley and Shackford sat in a van on City Avenue near Cardinal Avenue just off the campus of Saint. Joseph’s University.
Video that played in court showed Quinerley pull Shackford out of the passenger side of the van while it was stopped in the right lane of City Avenue.
When police arrived, he told them Shackford fell out of the van, but then said he didn’t know him, and was just a concerned citizen. Prosecutors focused on that interaction to push for the first-degree murder conviction denied by the judge.
“He has no recollection of shooting his best friend whatsoever. He turned himself in, and he didn't make any efforts to throw away the shell casings,” said Egan. “He went back to the same neighborhood.”
Quinerley was allowed to leave the scene because police didn’t realize Shackford was shot until paramedics cut off his jacket and shirt. The shell casings were found in his van two days later.
Quinerley opted to have a judge decide his case rather than a jury. It was a brief but emotional trial, as Quinerley and Shackford grew up together and were best friends for decades. But according to testimony, their heavy drug use was a concern for both of their families.
Prosecutors said they will seek the maximum on third-degree murder and the weapons charges, which would be 25-to-50 years in prison.