Anonymous citizen calls to CrimeStoppers led to the clearance of three homicide cases and four cases of criminal intent to commit homicide in Memphis in February.
Tips also helped bring to justice two men who had committed long strings of commercial armed robberies.
One robbery suspect arrested was Calvin Barber.
Between November 2018 and January 2019 various business robberies took place around the city in which an armed perpetrator held employees at gunpoint and demanded money. Surveillance footage revealed the same individual appeared to be responsible.
The footage was released to news outlets and a tip led to Barber’s identity, but he remained at large. Then Memphis Police responded to a robbery in progress at a Metro gas station on Elvis Presley Blvd. and there police nabbed Barber before he could get away.
Since then, investigators have gathered evidence from various crime scenes and victims. Barber has been charged with three aggravated robberies in federal court. The original tipster was awarded $900.
Meanwhile, Raphael Hall was arrested last July and charged with seven aggravated robberies of business around the city. Again, video footage had led to his identity by a tipster who phoned 528-CASH.
After Hall was in custody police were able to connect him to an additional 17 aggravated robberies.
He also will be tried in federal court.