Little Laylah Washington 
represents all the innocents

I t appears to have been another incident of road rage: a male driver angrily taking exception to the perceived disrespect in words spoken by a woman driver, Leslie Washington. Who did she think she was? How dare she say anything?

Laylah Washington, who was riding in the back seat, was too young to understand any of it.


Laylah
Laylah Washington

It was about 8 p.m. on a Sunday, June 11, 2017. Day was turning into night.

The mother didn't think she had done anything wrong, let alone break the rules of the road, such as cut into the first driver's pathway as he wove too fast through a parking lot off Winchester Road.

She thought he was driving unsafely. So she yelled, "Don't hit my car!"

The man was driving a black Chevrolet Impala, with as many as three passengers inside. Challenged and not to be dissed, he followed Washington's car onto the street. Shots were fired.
Washington drove to a nearby fire station. That was when she realized a bullet had struck her two-year-old daughter in the head. Laylah was too young to know how to be disrespectful. But one of the bullets found her anyway.

The little girl, who just loved to play with her toys, died two days 
later at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. Soon a candlelight vigil was held in Hickory Hill and a GoFundMe page was launched for her mother to help with expenses. Video footage showing the black Chevy appeared on TV news and in social media. A wake was held at N.J. Ford and Sons Funeral Home June 23.

During all that time, through all the tears, no one called police or CrimeStoppers' well-known tips line, 528-CASH, with information.
Now some people in the community have started raising funds for an extra award that will go to anyone who provides information that can give authorities a lead to make an arrest.
The fund stands at $1,000 ... and counting.

Those who love Laylah, or who just love justice, are counting on someone who knows who were in that dark car that dark night will make an anonymous call to CrimeStoppers for an award.

They hope someone will do it for Laylah and for all the innocents.


Hit the links at Southwind Aug. 7
and give crime a knockout punch

The First Annual CrimeStoppers Golf Tournament is one month away. Time to form your four-person team and send in a registration card for this fundraiser to help fight crime in our community.

Play begins at 8:30 a.m. Monday, August 7, 2017 at the beautiful TPC Southwind. Registration starts that morning at 7 a.m. sharp. Teams are $600, or $150 per player. Costs include a lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

CrimeStoppers Board of Directors member and tournament organizer Gary Paulson challenges golfers to "play where the pros play and stop crime."

The tournament includes a special hole in one contest, prize drawings and the sale of mulligans for $5. Players will be limited to 100.

For more information, or to sign up, visit our website's home page.

Golf Tournament

Help spread the word

If you like - we hope you do! - you can help the cause against the metal thieves by liking our new CopperStoppers Facebook page. And tell your friends, co-workers and acquaintances.

While you're at it, let them know about the main CrimeStoppers Facebook page too.


JULY
2017
Wanted: 
information  about the  'Most Wanted'

Starting this month CrimeStoppers will be running a new weekly feature called "Most Wanted" on our website, crimestopmem.org. This feature will contain a list, as well as photos and information, about the city's most wanted fugitives.

We hope this addition to the site will raise public awareness towards violators of the law and, most important, aid in collecting as much information as possible for law enforcement agencies regarding alleged criminals.

Michael Webster
Michael Webster

Michael Webster, also known as Warrant #1701575, is one of the persons listed as a top fugitive. Webster currently is on the most wanted list for violating the Sex Offender Registry Act. A police report describes him as a 120-pound, forty-five year old, six-foot-one male with gray eyes and brown hair. Eighteen-year-old Walter O'Neal is another fugitive on the list. He is wanted on a charge of attempted first-degree murder and for employing a firearm with the intent to commit a felony.

Walter O_Neal
Walter O'Neal

As of July 2, eight other fugitives have active warrants in Shelby County and Memphis. For the full list of fugitives, visit here .

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of one of the fugitives should call our anonymous tip line, 901-528-CASH (2274) to help authorities remove a fugitive from the streets. 

 
           
Spotlight shines
on one felony
case every week
            
Every week CrimeStoppers and the Memphis Police Department put a spotlight on a felony crime, usually but not always a homicide in which investigators need the public's help to make an arrest.
            
The "crime of the week" feature runs until the case is solved.
            
CrimeStoppers received tips that helped solve several of the featured cases this past year, including murders.
            
To see the list of crimes that bring this special focus each week, click here.
            

 
Websites building 
new awareness

CrimeStoppers and its many programs are explained - and the public is engaged - in various places on the internet.
 
Our main website explains the organization's purpose, and keeps count on major cases in which police need help from citizens -  crimestopmem.org. 
 
A companion site helps students keep their schools safer -
Senior citizens who are afraid or otherwise need help can find information they can use at another site - seniorbsafe.org.
 
Spanish-speaking citizens can learn about CrimeStoppers on a fourth site -
 
Now, because the theft of copper and other metals has become a major problem in the metro area we have launched a website for our newest program, CopperStoppers:
copperstoppersmemphis.com