Cousins Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Terms for Convictions in North Memphis Murder

Aug. 28, 2022 – Two cousins convicted earlier this year in the 2018 shooting death of a 27-year-old man they confronted outside of a North Memphis convenience store were given lengthy prison sentences Friday, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee sentenced 44-year-old Deonta Baskin to life in prison without the possibility for parole for his first-degree conviction and to an additional 30 years as a convicted felon with a firearm.

Baskin was convicted in 2007 in an unrelated attempted murder case for which he served 10 years of a 24-year sentence. He was paroled in 2017, a year before he was arrested in the North Memphis murder.

The judge also sentenced Marcus Green, 43, to life in prison for first-degree murder, 60 years for attempted first-degree murder, 30 years for convicted felon with a firearm, and 15 years for employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.

Following a weeklong trial in July, the cousins were convicted of killing 27-year-old Marceles Scurlock in the late afternoon of May 23, 2018, after they told Scurlock to get off their street when they saw him at a store in the 1600 block of Oakwood Street.

Green also fired at the victim’s girlfriend as she ran inside the store for safety.

Video surveillance showed the three men arguing and Scurlock trying to flee. Baskin grabbed and held him as Green punched Scurlock in the head and pistol whipped him.

Baskin told police that he began firing numerous times when he was shot in the side, apparently by accident by his cousin Green. The video showed Scurlock fall in the street and Baskin firing more shots as he walked away.

Scurlock, who was struck 15 times, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The case was handled by Chief Prosecutor Alanda Dwyer and by Asst. Dist. Atty. Jimmy Thomas of the District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit which seeks maximum sentencing for repeat felony offenders.