New bond set for teenager accused in ‘Watermelon Man’ killing
Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Jennifer Fitzgerald raised Demarion Tackett’s bond. He is is accused of killing John Materna, a 76-year-old watermelon vendor. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Jennifer Fitzgerald said Demarion Tackett’s $100,000 bond wasn’t sufficient because “he will not come to court.”
Aarron Fleming
Once an intern, he never left, joining the staff full-time in 2022 as an education reporter. He moved to public safety in 2023, where he covered some of the city’s biggest court cases, including the criminal trials for those charged in the deaths of Tyré Nichols and rapper Young Dolph. He also chronicled the Shelby County Jail and the deaths that have occurred at the facility.
He now provides suburban coverage, focusing on DeSoto County and the surrounding municipalities.
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