U.S. Marshals Arrest Memphis Murder Suspect After Fall Through Ceiling From Attic Space

Memphis, TN – Today, U.S. Marshals captured Memphis murder suspect, Deario Wilkerson, 20, after he fell through the ceiling from the attic space where he was hiding.

On April 2, 2024, Troy Cunningham was found shot to death at the 1500 block of N. Merton Street in Memphis, Tennessee. On May 9th, an arrest warrant for first degree murder and reckless endangerment-deadly weapon was issued for Wilkerson’s arrest. The case was adopted for a fugitive investigation by the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Memphis.

On August 26th, the TRVFTF tracked Wilkerson to a residence in the 1400 block of N. Merton in Memphis. Deputy marshals, with the assistance of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Memphis Police Department’s Fugitive Apprehension Teams, surrounded the home. Wilkerson attempted to hide in the attic as the USMS searched the residence; however, he fell through the ceiling. Wilkerson was not injured from the fall and was taken into custody with no further incident.

The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured over 2,600 violent fugitives and sexual predators.