Unmatched DNA Evidence in Memphis Graveyard Murders: The Case of Tony Von Carruthers
In 1994, Marcellos “Cello” Anderson, his mother Delois Anderson, and Frederick Tucker were discovered buried in a Memphis graveyard under a casket after being missing for a week. Fingerprints found at the crime scene led investigators to suspects James Montgomery, Jonathan Montgomery, and Tony Carruthers. Carruthers and James Montgomery were convicted of three counts of first-degree premeditated murder and sentenced to death in 1996. Jonathan Montgomery was found hanged in his cell before trial.
Tony Von Carruthers is facing execution next month for the triple kidnapping and murder, but a recent motion filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argues that DNA evidence from the crime scene does not match Carruthers and could potentially prove his innocence. The motion seeks to have unmatched fingerprints and DNA evidence retested against an alternate suspect identified by Montgomery during his retrial.
The ACLU motion highlights that there was no physical evidence linking Carruthers to the crime, and the case against him relied heavily on testimony from jailhouse informants. The jury in Carruthers' case was not informed about the fingerprint evidence due to his self-representation at trial, which was described as inept and ineffective. Montgomery, who was also convicted and sentenced to death, later had his conviction overturned due to Carruthers' self-representation affecting his fair trial rights.
During Montgomery's retrial, DNA testing of physical evidence did not yield matches to either Montgomery or Carruthers. A male DNA profile found on a blanket buried with the victims remains unidentified. Montgomery's statement while serving his sentence implicated a different suspect, Ronnie ‘Eyeball’ Irving, in the kidnapping of Marcellos and Fred, exonerating Carruthers from involvement in the crimes.
The motion for post-conviction DNA testing aims to shed light on the unidentified DNA profile and potentially reveal new evidence that could impact Carruthers' case. While the testing may not affect Carruthers' upcoming execution date, the results could have significant implications for his innocence and the appropriateness of his death sentence.