Following an investigation into a violent attempted robbery that shook a Memphis community, authorities have announced additional arrests in connection with the incident. On the afternoon of June 2, 2025, Memphis Police Department officers arrived at the scene of a shooting at Island Place East and Island Village Drive, where they found a male victim critically injured. According to a social media post from the Memphis Police Department, the assailants, three males in a stolen red Chevrolet Silverado, had attempted to hijack the victim's truck before shooting him and fleeing the scene.
Investigators quickly established that the suspect vehicle had been stolen earlier that same day from the 1500 block of Monroe. In a fortuitous turn of events, on June 3, officers identified a suspicious vehicle on East Holmes Road, which turned out to be the getaway truck, and it was subsequently towed for further examination. Coordination with DeSoto County investigators soon led to a breakthrough when they informed the Memphis Violent Crime Unit that the truck in question had been at the scene of unrelated arrests on June 2 involving Christopher Skelton and Justin Furnish, ultimately linking them to the attempted robbery.
The Memphis Police Department has now charged three individuals in relation to the crime. Christopher Skelton, 29, and Justin Furnish, 42, are facing significant charges including Attempted Carjacking, Attempted First-Degree Murder, and Employment of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony, while Hunter Manness's charges are tied to accessory actions post-event. The specifics of the charges include Theft of Property of a Motor Vehicle valued between $2,500-$10,000 among others, marking a severe and planned transgression against both the law and the peace of the community.
