Powhatan County

Loch Gate Lane and Loch Gate Path

6:45 PM

Gunshot

Argument

Powhatan mourning teen’s shooting death / Police seeking three in killing of athlete who ‘was always smiling’
By Jamie C. Ruff And Linda Dunham
Times-Dispatch Staff Writers

Thursday,June 26, 2008

More than 100 people gathered at the Powhatan YMCA yesterday evening to remember a teenager who was killed in a shooting about 24 hours earlier.
Tahliek Taliaferro, 18, of Powhatan County was described as a talented basketball and football player with a radiant smile.

“He was the sweetest kid,” said Angela Harris, the mother of one of his close friends. “He was always smiling.”

Taliaferro was killed and a juvenile wounded during a shooting at about 6:45 p.m., on Tuesday in the county’s Flat Rock area. The juvenile, whose name is not being released because of his age, was listed in stable condition yesterday.

Authorities continued to search for three suspects in the shooting: Stephanie Reynolds, a 19-year-old white female with brown eyes and blonde hair, 5-foot-5, 150 pounds; Ethan Scott Parrish, a 24-year-old white male with brown hair and blue eyes, 5-foot-4, 125 pounds; and Joey Parrish, a 17-year-old white male with brown hair and blue eyes, 5-foot-6, 130 pounds.

Warrants have been issued charging each with murder, malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Powhatan Sheriff Gregory A. Neal said an AK-47 assault rifle was used in the shooting and six shots were fired.

Neal said he does not know what prompted the shootings.

Gail Timberlake, the organizer of last night’s memorial service, said the intent was “for the kids to come and be together. The kids need a place to be together.”

Sandra Marshall, whose son, Kwamaine, was a friend of Taliaferro’s, was among those who attended the service. She said she doesn’t know how Taliaferro’s friends are going to cope.

“You hate to see a young man’s life cut short when you see some- one with such potential,” said Roger Hobson, whose son played sports with Taliaferro.

Counselors and pastors were available to comfort the youths.

Meanwhile, the sheriff called on the three suspects to surrender to authorities. “There is one way to fix this and get it started, and that’s for them to turn themselves in,” he said yesterday.

Authorities have located a Ford Mustang they say the three initially fled in.

Later yesterday, authorities said the three might be traveling in a white van with a ladder rack. But last night, the Sheriff’s Office said the van had been found and was no longer of interest in the search for the suspects.

The three are considered armed and dangerous and authorities are asking anyone having contact with the vehicle or its occupants to contact local police or the Powhatan Sheriff’s Office at (804) 598-5656.

Powhatan authorities became anxious after receiving a report about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday that a vehicle had been shot while traveling along U.S. 60. The initial call was followed by three other complaints of vehicles being shot - including two sheriff’s office cruisers.

A number of officers responded and four juveniles were tracked to a nearby residence early yesterday morning. Investigators learned that the youths had been using a BB-type weapon and that the incident was not related to the earlier shootings.

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Prosecution rests in Powhatan murder trial

JAMIE C. RUFF TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Published: March 20, 2009

POWHATAN—Friends: Slain teen was not in pursuit Prosecution rests in Powhatan trial of two in Taliaferro killing

Friends of Tahliek Taliaferro testified yesterday that while the teenager may have wanted to fight Joseph “Joey” Parrish, Taliaferro was not pursuing him when Ethan Parrish, Joey’s cousin, opened fire.

Courtney Jones, a friend of Taliaferro’s, testified in Powhatan County Circuit Court that shortly before the June 24 shooting, Taliaferro said of the Parrishes, “Let’s go fight them. Let’s get them.“

Margaret Ashton Bradbury testified yesterday that she had spent that day with the Parrish cousins and Stephanie Reynolds. Reynolds was dropping off Bradbury at her car in a Sheetz parking lot when Bradbury heard Joey Parrish yelling at Taliaferro and his friends eating at a nearby ice-cream shop.

Bradbury said she could not make out much of what Joey Parrish said. But she did catch something as Reynolds’ sport utility vehicle sped off. “I believe the last thing he said was, ‘If you want to fight, follow us,‘“ she said.

A few minutes later, a car with Taliaferro in the passenger seat came by, following the same course as Reynolds’ SUV. Bradbury tried to flag the car down, but it didn’t stop.

“I wanted to warn them,“ Bradbury testified yesterday. “I didn’t want the confrontation to happen when Joey had guns.“

She knew that Joey Parrish had a 9 mm handgun and that Ethan Parrish had an assault rifle. She also knew of the feud between Joey Parrish and Taliaferro.

During the argument in the parking lot, Ethan Parrish drew a gun and Reynolds stopped him as he attempted to jump out of the car, speeding off to avoid a confrontation.

But Ethan Parrish climbed into the back seat to retrieve his assault rifle and ordered Reynolds to make a U-turn and then turn down Dorset Road.

“He said, ‘We just need to take care of this,‘“ Reynolds quoted Ethan Parrish as saying. “‘I’m sick of everybody picking on Joey.‘“

Reynolds testified that Ethan Parrish said he was going to “scare” and “smoke” Taliaferro.

Once turned around, Reynolds and the Parrishes saw Taliaferro and his friends pulling out of the Sheetz parking lot. One of the Parrishes motioned for the car to follow, Reynolds testified.

The car, driven by Lawrence Harris, started down U.S. 60 but made a U-turn and turned down Dorset Road. Harris testified yesterday that he turned down Dorset to take one of his passengers to his grandmother’s home, not to pursue Reynolds.

Reynolds testified that the mood in her vehicle was one of chaos and panic over being followed by Taliaferro and his friends.

On Dorset, Ethan Parrish ordered Reynolds to pull over and sent Joey to cover the SUV’s license plate with a plastic bag, Reynolds said.

Parked, they watched Harris’ car slowly pass. Harris had something in his hand, Reynolds testified. Under questioning by Powhatan Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Beasley, Reynolds said that whatever was in Harris’ hand was not pointed at her vehicle.

Taliaferro laughed when he saw that Ethan Parrish was armed, Reynolds said.

It was then, she said, that Ethan Parrish fired.

Ethan Parrish, 25, faces eight charges, including first-degree murder. Joey Parrish, 18, faces the same eight charges and a count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Beasley rested his case late yesterday. The defense will begin calling witnesses today.