23-year-old Tennessee man, Kerrien Dates, has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly killing his grandmother with a hammer and stealing her car. According to Fox 13 Memphis, WREG, and the Charlotte Observer, Kerrien was arrested in Jackson, about 90 miles from the Memphis home he shared with his grandmother, Sonya Dates.

Authorities say Kerrien was pulled over on June 4 while driving Sonya’s 2020 Chevrolet Camaro. When questioned, he allegedly admitted, “I hit Sonya in the head with a hammer and I think I killed her.”

Memphis Police said Sonya’s body was discovered by her daughter, Kerrien’s mother, around 4:30 p.m. that day. The 58-year-old was found lying on the floor with a hammer nearby and visible head trauma.

According to an affidavit cited by the Observer, Sonya still had her backpack and lunch bag on. Having her bag on her indicated that she had just returned home from work.

The affidavit notes that Kerrien had been living with Sonya, but recent arguments led her to ask him to leave for safety reasons. She suffered four blunt force injuries to the back of her head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

After issuing a stolen vehicle alert, police located Kerrien in Jackson and took him into custody. He was booked into Shelby County Jail and is expected in court on June 9.

#Clique, share your thoughts?