Sherquilla Hubbard
A woman described as a “peacemaker” and “sweet like a piece of pie” had her bond set at $300,000 after prosecutors said she aided her brother and his friend in a brutal murder. Charged with attempted first-degree murder, Sherquilla Hubbard faces a possible lengthy prison term for her role in the 2018 crime.
Ms. Hubbard, 24, appeared in Hamilton County Criminal Court before Judge Don Poole.
Authorities said on Aug. 24, Kevion Hubbard and Montrell Williams shot and murdered Kevin Crayton and injured Jatoni Crayton on Bradt Street in East Chattanooga. Sherquilla Hubbard, Kevion’s older sister, drove the two men to and from the area, police said. Kevin Crayton died after being shot in the chest.
Tuesday’s session saw several witnesses give impassioned pleas for leniency and tense cross-examination by prosecutor Crystle Carrion.
M. Marsh was the first witness. One of Hubbard’s closest friends, she told Judge Poole about Hubbard’s upstanding character. As Sherquilla Hubbard’s former roommate, she told the prosecution, “She’s like a sister to me,” and emphasized how devoted Ms. Hubbard was to her own family.
“She can always be trusted to be as supportive of her family as possible,” said Ms. Marsh.
The witness seemed surprised when she was told of how Ms. Hubbard allegedly acted on the day of the crime. Ms. Hubbard had run away, abandoned her car, and denied being in the area in the events following the murder, police said.
Sherquilla Hubbard’s mother, Latasha Hubbard, also vouched for her daughter’s kindness and dislike of conflict.
“She’s a peacemaker……she’s a good person. She’s not a bad person. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Like Ms. Marsh, Latasha Hubbard spoke at length about the good deeds Sherquilla Hubbard often partook in, including feeding the homeless, running errands for the family, and taking care of her younger brothers.
When Latasha Hubbard was asked about the relationship between Sherquilla and her brother Kevion, she responded, “Are you gonna ask me about Sherquilla, or Kevion? She added, when asked about Kevion's criminal background, “He just got into one incident.”
Allena Tyler, one of Ms. Hubbard’s closest friends since high school, echoed many of the sentiments shared by Sherquilla Hubbard’s former roommate and mother. Ms. Tyler constantly referred to Sherquilla Hubbard as “Pie Pie,” saying her nickname came from how she “was sweet (when they met in high school), like a piece of pie.”
Ms. Tyler also was the third witness to mention Ms. Hubbard’s family-oriented mindset and her high character. She emphasized Ms. Hubbard’s non-existent criminal record and her affinity for working hard.
Ms. Tyler was questioned by Ms. Carrion about her own pending illegal firearm charge. She had previously stated that Ms. Hubbard did not interact with people who handled guns.
Ms. Tyler said of the gun charge, "It’s getting dropped, so it doesn’t count.” After being told that the charge was still pending, she said she has a permit to carry, but she took her gun onto government property. When a police officer saw her gun in her car, she drew that charge.
The last witness in support of Ms. Hubbard was her great-grandmother Dorothy Thompson. Just like the other witnesses, Ms. Thompson had much to say about Sherquilla Hubbard’s kind and family-first mindset.
“She works, she comes home, she takes care of me, cooks, washes laundry……and she’s a good girl, and she ain’t never been in trouble,” she said.
Ms. Thompson also called Ms. Hubbard “a mother to her brother” and said, “I hope that God looks down and helps her through this.”
After hearing each of the four witnesses, Ms. Hubbard’s attorney, and the prosecution, Judge Poole noted that Ms. Hubbard had no previous criminal history and seemed to be an upstanding person. However, he said he could not ignore the severity of her crimes.
“There is a strong case that Ms. Hubbard was involved in a crime that could result in her staying in the penitentiary for life,” said Judge Poole.
He then set the $300,000 bail.
The next court hearing will be June 20.