As for the new charges, Perri said he was still reviewing the allegations. Rannels is among the codefendants in the slaying of Drinks, with prosecutors alleging that they have records of prison phone calls helping to show his involvement.īlackston’s attorney, Fortunato Perri Jr., declined Monday to comment on the open case. In that case, Blackston was arrested last year and charged with fatally shooting 50-year-old Kevin Drinks in December 2011Īccording to testimony from a preliminary hearing last year, Blackston and three codefendants mistakenly believed that Drinks was willing to testify against Blackston’s friend Chad Rannels, who in September 2011 had been charged with killing a 22-year-old man two months earlier.īlackston and his codefendants allegedly followed Drinks to the 900 block of Watts Street, where Blackston - wearing Muslim female garb in an apparent attempt to conceal his identity - ambushed Drinks and shot him in the left side and lower back. And at least one of Blackston’s new cases is connected to his open murder case, which is scheduled for trial in February. Still, sources familiar with the investigation said Michael Blackston, 29, of the 3900 block of Priscilla Street, was believed to have been a member of a violent drug organization operating in North and Northwest Philadelphia. The Police Department and District Attorney’s Office both declined to elaborate, saying the investigation was ongoing and the grand jury presentment had been sealed. The details of each case, and any links among them, were not immediately clear Monday. 22, 2017: 20-year-old Michael Cousette was gunned down on the 2500 block of North 17th Street.īlackston has remained jailed without bail since his September 2018 arrest for a December 2011 murder, police said. 10, 2017: 20-year-old Branden Vincent was shot and killed along the 2100 block of Chelten Avenue. * July 30, 2011: 22-year-old Kristin Freeman was shot on the 100 block of East Garfield Street.
* July 1, 2011: 22-year-old Gary Wilson was gunned down on the 5000 block of Wade Street. * June 28, 2011: 26-year-old Saleem Garland was killed on the 1700 block of West Juniata Street. The murders occurred in the Nicetown, Germantown and North Philly neighborhoods. The most recent killing happened in September 2017. Michael Blackston was arrested at Philadelphia police headquarters Saturday night and charged with five counts of murder, along with gun violations and other crimes.īlackston, 29, who hails from the city’s Nicetown neighborhood, is accused of gunning down six people, the first of whom was killed in June 2011, police said. Philadelphia police have charged a man already facing a murder trial with five additional killings spanning a six year period.
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