A Clarksdale teenager has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of her uncle in Charleston.
Amber Nicole Dogan, 18, of 724 School St., Clarksdale, is accused of fatally shooting Curtis Cortez Taylor, 44, of 226 Holly St., Charleston.
The shooting reportedly occurred at Taylor’s Holly Street residence shortly after midnight on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 21.
Police were summoned to the home at 12:39 a.m., radio logs show.
Upon arrival, police found Taylor shot in the neck and Dogan not at the scene.
Responding paramedics determined that the shooting victim was deceased.
Tallahatchie County Coroner Anthony Hawkins officially pronounced Taylor dead at 2:05 a.m.
Hawkins told The Sun-Sentinel Monday that Taylor’s injury appeared to be a “single gunshot wound.”
Taylor’s body was transported for autopsy, added Hawkins, who said those results are still pending.
Dogan reportedly turned herself in to authorities and was arrested at 3 p.m. on Jan. 21.
Justice Judge Shannon van der Poel initially set Dogan’s bond at $800,000, but she later reduced it to $5,000. Van der Poel was unavailable for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Charleston Police Chief Kirby Griffin declined to comment on reports suggesting that Dogan might have been physically assaulted immediately prior to the shooting. He also would not discuss particulars of the case.
“I don’t want to elaborate on it,” Griffin said Tuesday, adding that the investigation is “still ongoing.”
The chief referred other questions to the police department’s investigator, whom he said was working the shooting and had possession of the case file.
“He can give you more light on all of this better than I can,” Griffin noted.
The investigator, Travis Nichols, was unavailable, however, and attempts to reach him by phone and text message proved unsuccessful.
Griffin did say that Nichols has conferred with the district attorney’s office about matters relating to the case and that those discussions are continuing.
Reached by telephone Tuesday afternoon, District Attorney Jay Hale confirmed that one of his assistants has been in discussions with Charleston police about the matter.
Hale said evidence pertaining to the case ultimately will be presented to a Tallahatchie County grand jury for consideration and that, as usual, it will be up to members of the grand jury to determine the nature of any final charges.
