A detective testified on Thursday that Anthony B. Parrish Jr. grabbed a firearm from an accomplice and fatally shot another partygoer in February in the first of a series of crimes.
Parrish’s girlfriend, Bridget Watts, told police that co-defendant Nathaniel Lanell Johnson, armed with a pistol, did not act quickly enough early Feb. 24 during a confrontation at a large gathering of youths, and that Parrish fired the single shot that killed Marray Martin, 20, Savannah-Chatham police detective Robert Santoro testified during a preliminary hearing in Chatham County Recorder’s Court.
Martin was shot once in the abdomen with a SCCY 9 mm semi-automatic pistol at what Santoro described as a “promoted house party” at 2101 Florida Ave. attended by as many as 100 people ages 18-20.
A second victim was shot in the right thigh, the bullet destroying his cell phone, but survived.
Testimony showed that Parrish met with Watts the next day in Daffin Park, where he tearfully admitted to killing Martin then later told a second person, Brandon Williams, basically the same thing.
Judge Harris Odell Jr. sent Parrish to Superior Court on charges of murder and aggravated assault. He ordered Johnson to Superior Court on charges of party to a crime of murder and armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Both defendants remain in the Chatham County jail without bond in the case. Their cases next goes before a Chatham County grand jury for indictment.
Interstate chase
In a separate incident, Parrish was sent to Superior Court on an array of charges stemming from the theft of a Savannah-Chatham police cruiser in which he led officers on a car chase at over 100 mph through west Savannah and I-16 before crashing the car and firing 10 gunshots at police, including one that wounded patrol officer Rebekah Gregory.
Officers returned fire with an unidentified number of gunshots in what Detective Jason Manley described as Parrish saying he “just wanted to end it,” apparently wanting police to shoot him.
Parrish suffered what Manley described as flesh wounds in the shoot-out and was treated and released into police custody at Memorial University Medical Center, the detective said.
Johnson also was sent to trial court on charges stemming from an armed robbery and carjacking in that episode. Johnson was not involved in the final part of the flight, testimony showed.
Police identified the 9 mm and a second weapon, a Kel-Tec Sub 2000, 40-cal. rifle similar to an AK-47 in the crime spree.
The rifle, recovered by the shoot-out scene off I-16 was stolen Sept. 11 from a house in the 2200 block of East 67th Street, testimony showed.
The pistol was recovered between 604 and 606 W. 42nd St, the path Johnson fled after he and Parrish fled on foot before the high speed chase.
Both defendants also were charged in separate armed robberies and carjackings from Malick Wallace from a parked car in the 1000 block of Maupas Avenue on March 5, and on March 6 from Antonio Benton at 826 E. 33rd St., testimony showed.
