Murder suspect accused of dumping body near St. Joe's turns self in to face charges

Law enforcement officials in Montgomery County announced that the 39-year-old man who is believed to have killed another man in his vehicle on Sunday night, before leaving the victim on the sidewalk to die along City Avenue, turned himself in Tuesday afternoon.

According to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, an arrest warrant was issued for Tyreese Quinerley, 39, of North Philadelphia for his suspected involvement in the death of Jefferson Shackford, 39, who officials said was known to be unhoused and had lived in Northwest Philadelphia.

Quinerley surrendered to Lower Merion Police and Montgomery County Detectives just before 2 p.m., Steele's office said.

Officials said that investigation into the incident has led police to believe that Quinerley spoke to police shorty after the murder as he stood over his, alleged, victim's body.

According to police, the incident unfolded at about 11 p.m. on April 14, 2024, when Quinerley placed a 9-1-1 call to the Lower Merion Township Police, saying he almost hit Shackford with his vehicle -- a green Chevrolet Express van -- and had pulled over to help.

An officer who responded identified Quinerley, in a meeting that was captured on the officer's body camera, and spoke to him about the incident.

Court documents note that Quinerley told police he only stopped to help after he nearly struck Shackford with his vehicle and said he didn't know the dead man.

The officer permitted Quinerley to leave the scene as he tended to Shackford, officials said. Though, court documents note, the officer observed Quinerley to be "sweating profusely" during the interaction.

However, as Shackford was being moved to be taken to a hospital, first responders found gunshot wounds to his side and his arm.

Shackford was pronounced after he was taken to a nearby hospital.

Further investigation into the incident, officials said, revealed eyewitness accounts and surveillance video of the area that showed Quinerley's van driving erratically before it stopped at a red light at City and Cardinal avenues.

As traffic was stopped, at about 10:45 p.m. that night, police officials said, video showed the driver, Quinerley, step out of the van, step to the center of the roadway and produce a firearm, before turning to the vehicle and firing twice into the van.

A few minutes later, officials claim, surveillance video shows Quinerley dragging Shackford out of the van and leaving him on the sidewalk at that intersection near St. Joseph's University.

Also, eyewitness descriptions of the shooter in this incident matched Quinerley's description as well, officials said.

According to police, about 30 feet away from where Shackford was found, police recovered a discarded cell phone that investigators say belonged to Quinerly.

That phone, police said, showed that it was used to make several calls to a phone that was recovered on Shackford's body on the day before the slaying and, had made calls to a woman shortly after it was used to call 9-1-1.

That woman told police that she spoke with Quinerley when police were on the scene before he left the area and claimed he and Shackford knew each other from "the neighborhood," investigators said.

Police were also able to recover a recording of the 9-1-1 call, where investigators claim, Quinerley referred to Shackford as "Creek" several times during the call. Investigators said Shackford went by the nickname "Creek" and had the words "King Creek" tattooed on his stomach.

Quinerley is charged with murder, weapon offenses and other crimes.

It is unclear if he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Montgomery County Detectives at 610-226-5553 or Lower Merion Township Police at 610-649-1000 or 610-645-6228.