MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An attorney for Courdarion Craft, the man accused in a deadly weekend crime spree and citywide manhunt, asked for a mental evaluation for his client Tuesday.
His mother, meanwhile, said there was more to the story as she defended her son outside the courtroom.
And, in a separate case, a grand jury on Tuesday indicted Craft on charges of attempted first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery in a shooting that was allegedly over a pair of shoes last November.
Craft, 20, was officially arraigned Tuesday morning. Judge Karen Massey read aloud each of his seven charges: Carjacking, First Degree Murder, Especially Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Child Abuse x2, Evading Arrest in Auto and Evading Arrest.
His most severe charge, first degree murder, could result in the death penalty or a life sentence if convicted, the judge told him. Bond was denied.
This sparked emotion from Craft, who sat sobbing at times while his newly retained lawyer Brandon Hall addressed the court, appealing for a mental evaluation.
“If someone heard that it would be terrifying, so for him, this entire situation is scary and terrifying,” Hall said. “Anytime on a case this serious, if there is any indication of a prior mental case issue, you have to file it (request for evalution).”
Emotions boiled over outside the courtroom.
A woman who identified herself as Craft’s mother and said her name was Nikki, defended her son and told WREG that there was more to the story.
“This is real life, this is something I have to deal with, along with the person that died. Everybody got to deal with all of this,” she said. “My son is not that type of person, and I am sorry for everything that happened to the other people, but it’s more to the story and when everything gets out, they will understand what’s going on.”
We could learn what’s next in the next two weeks, following that mental evaluation as Craft and his newly retained lawyer have been ordered back to court at the end of the month.
In the separate indictment that was handed down Tuesday, a grand jury said Craft seriously injured a man in a robbery over a pair of shoes last Nov. 10.
The district attorney’s office said they had already asked for bond to be revoked in that case after Craft failed to show up for a hearing last Friday.
Craft is accused of a string of crimes Sunday, beginning when he allegedly carjacked a woman and her children on Shelby Drive, then continued to a smoke shop where he shot and killed an 18-year-old employee.
He is also accused of shooting two women near Winchester and Lamar before police apprehended him after a manhunt and chase in Whitehaven.