Retaliation Murder In DeSoto Stemmed From Mistaken Identity And 'Internet Rumors,' Police Say
DESOTO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - DeSoto Police have connected two murders that happened days apart, on Thursday, April 22 and Sunday, April 25.
Police said the second murder happened when the suspect "mistakenly believed the internet rumors about the identity of his brother's killer."
DeSoto Police said Camran Kashawn Collier, 19, was found shot to death in the driver's seat of his Honda Accord in the 1100 block of Westlake Drive, last Thursday.
Three days later, a "balloon release" ceremony was held in Camran's honor at Les Zeiger Park.
Immediately following the ceremony one of the attendees, Kolby Marquise Graham, 20, of Lancaster, was shot in the head by another participant in front of others who attended the ceremony.
Graham initially survived the shooting but died several days later.
None of the participants who witnessed this shooting came forward to the police with information about the identity of the shooter.
DeSoto detectives felt that there was a connection to the initial killing of Camran Collier, but could not release this information at that time because the investigation was still active.
Their follow-up investigation determined that the man who was fatally shot at the ceremony, Kolby Marquise Graham, had been mistakenly identified as Camran's killer on several social media postings.
"We believe if this information about Kolby being the shooter of Camran had not been so passed on and gone viral on social media he would not even shot," said Cpl. Pete Schulte of the DeSoto Police Department.
Police said Norman Christopher Collier IV, 22, Camran's brother, mistakenly believed the internet rumors about the identity of his brother's killer.
Norman Collier then took revenge against the wrong man at his brother's balloon release ceremony by shooting Kolby Graham on Sunday.
DeSoto Police have arrested Norman Christopher Collier, IV, and charged him with the capital murder of Graham.
Collier is currently in custody in the Dallas County jail being held on a $1 million bond.
The victim's mother, Tamaka Graham said Kolby's last words to her will forever haunt her.
"He said, 'Momma remember I don't have nothing against nobody it won't be me it will be them'."
