Chaz Gilley
Fort Worth police have arrested two men in connection with the Oct. 8 death of a teenager friends have identified as being gay.
James Murphy, top, and Lajerrian Morgan have both been charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Chaz Gilley
James Murphy, 37, was arrested Oct. 18, and Lajerrian Morgan, 24, was arrested Nov. 10, and both have been charged with capital murder in the death of 18-year-old Chaz Gilley.
Relatives told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Gilley had been living in Mansfield and had only recently moved to the East Berry Street area to live with his mother. He had gotten a job at a local Goodwill store and on Oct, 7 had ridden his bicycle to the Wal-Mart store on East Berry to cash his check.
According to reports, an informant told police that Murphy and “another Blood gang member” were selling drugs at the apartment complex where Gilley lived with his mother. The men “saw a ‘white boy’ looking at his check,” and then followed the teen to Wal-Mart to wait for him to cash the check.
Police said security video from inside the store shows the two men shadowing Gilley, watching him count the money before following him outside. Video from outside the store shows Gilley riding away on his bicycle, with the two men following in a black car.
According to the arrest affidavit, Morgan and Murphy followed Gilley as he rode his bicycle down Berry, then used the car to knock him off the bike, then chased after him on foot, shooting him several times as he tried to run away.
Gilley was able to flag down a passing car, which drove him to John Peter Smith Hospital, but the teen died of his injuries about 24 hours later while in surgery.
The informant told police that several days after the murder, Murphy and Morgan were “laughing and bragging” about what they had done.
There is no indication that Gilley’s sexual orientation played any role in his murder.