5 accused of helping suspects

By: REED WILLIAMS AND JAMIE C. RUFF/TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS | Richmond Times Dispatch
Published: August 14, 2008

Five Powhatan County residents were arrested Tuesday and charged with assisting the three suspects in the June shooting death of a popular Powhatan High School student.

The arrests bring to eight the number of people facing charges in connection with the slaying of Tahliek Taliaferro, who died June 24 after being shot in the back of the head with an assault rifle. Another youth, Courtney Jones, was injured in the shooting.

The Powhatan Sheriff's Office yesterday announced the arrests of the following people:

Bennett B. Davis, 19, was charged with six counts of being an accessory after the fact in a felony, one count of obstructing justice and one count of possession of marijuana. Davis is being held without bond pending her court appearance tomorrow.

Brad L. Harris, 34, was charged with six counts of being an accessory after the fact, one count of destroying, altering, concealing physical evidence in a felony and one count of obstructing justice. He was released on a $50,000 bond.

David T. Franklin, 22, was charged with six counts of being an accessory after the fact and one count of obstructing justice. He is being held without bond pending a court appearance tomorrow.

Randall C. Powers, 48, was charged with six counts of being an accessory after the fact and one count of destroying, altering or concealing physical evidence in a felony. Powers is being held on $50,000 bond pending a court appearance Tuesday in Amelia County.

Brenda F. Powers, 44, was charged with six counts of being an accessory after the fact and one count of destroying, altering or concealing physical evidence in a felony. She is being held without bond pending a court appearance in Amelia County on Tuesday.

Lt. Kevin Wolfe with the Powhatan Sheriff's Office said the five people arrested are friends of Stephanie Reynolds and cousins Joseph "Joey" Parrish and Ethan Parrish who aided them in the days after the slaying of 18-year-old Taliaferro.

The Parrish cousins and Reynolds initially were charged with first-degree murder, aggravated malicious wounding and two counts of use of a firearm in Taliaferro's death. Since then, the Parrish cousins also have been charged with attempted murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a murder.

Last week, Powhatan investigators revealed that a July escape attempt by Joey Parrish had been thwarted.

An investigator said Parrish had persuaded a nurse at James River Juvenile Regional Detention Center to hand over a handcuff key after telling the woman he knew Pagan biker gang members who could pressure her to help him. The woman, Karen N. Peregoy, 38, of Goochland County, has since been fired from her job and charged with a misdemeanor count of aiding the escape attempt of a prisoner.

Contact Reed Williams at (804) 649-6332 or rwilliams@timesdispatch.com.

Contact Jamie C. Ruff at (434) 392-6605 or jruff@timesdispatch.com.