By Ray King
The third suspect in the shooting death of a man Saturday on the parking lot of Dollar Tree on East Harding Avenue made his initial court appearance in Jefferson County District Court Thursday.
Julius Ford, 22, also known as JuJu will be held without bond for capital murder and police attempted to question him, he said he did not want to talk to them.
Detective Corey Wilfong reported that Ford was located at his brother’s house in Arkadelphia and had his left arm in a sling and had pill bottles for pain. Those bottles came from a hospital in Camden and a call to the Emergency Room there revealed that Ford came in Sunday and was treated for a bullet wound to the arm.
Ford was identified as the person who shot Ryan Wear, 30, who was shot on the right side of his face and was taken to Jefferson Regional Hospital where he died. Witnesses told police they saw a heavy set black male wearing all white with long hair get out of the passenger seat of Wear’s vehicle and get into an older model white SUV which sped off. The witnesses also heard a single gunshot.
Video from Haverty’s Furniture, which is across the street from the shopping center showed the white vehicle pull up beside Wear’s vehicle and the heavy-set male get out of the passenger side of Wear’s vehicle and goes to the SUV. The male then goes back to the passenger side of Wear’s vehicle and gets in the front while a second male gets out of the SUV, goes to Wear’s vehicle, and gets in the back.
A few minutes later both men get out and go to the SUV, which then leaves the scene.
Wilfong reported finding text messages from Wear to JuJu is wanting to buy drugs and Wear agrees. The number returned to Julius Ford.
Other officers placed Ford in the vehicle, a white Hyundai Sante Fe with Greg and Javeron McGown and said they were familiar with the three because they all went to Dollarway High School. On Monday, the vehicle was located in Altheimer and both McGown’s were taken into custody. When questioned, they denied any involvement in the shooting. Both are also being held without bond on probable cause of capital murder.
