Aug 20, 2008 9:46 am US/Eastern
Police: Bloods Members Murdered One Of Their Own
WOODLAWN, Md. (WJZ) ―
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Police say two Bloods gang members murdered one of their own in Woodlawn just because they thought the victim was gay.
WJZ
Police say two Bloods gang members murdered one of their own in Woodlawn just because they thought the victim was gay.
Police tell
Suzanne Collins the gang leaders didn't want the group to appear weak.
On May 29, the 19-year-old victim's body was discovered in the woods behind his family's Woodlawn home. Police say Steven Parrish had joined a Bloods gang and was killed by two members of his own group because they thought he was gay. It was four days before his graduation from Randallstown High School.
"They went into the woods with him. Nearby people heard a commotion in the woods, but no one called police. Then a little later, someone walking through the woods found his body. He had been beaten and stabbed," said Bill Toohey, Baltimore County Police spokesperson.
Steven Hollis, 18, was charged this week with first-degree murder. So was 17-year-old Juan Flythe.
Neighbors heard Parrish scream, "Stop! Why are you doing this to me? I didn't do anything!"
The victim's next door neighbor says she thought the victim was a nice kid.
"He was kind of the average teenage boy, so I'm very happy that someone was caught and is going to pay for this senseless murder," said Edith Newton.
Police say fellow gang members discovered that Parrish had sent a suggestive text message to another male, along with a photo of his private parts. Court documents say the leaders didn't want to "appear weak to other Blood gang sets if it was revealed that they had a gang member who was gay."
Documents say the defendants sent text messages around 5 p.m. just before Parrish was murdered, but it was still an hour-and-a-half before his body was discovered and police were called.
"Detectives found a red bandanna over his face, which was believed to be the flag for the Bloods gang," Toohey said.
Parrish died from being beaten and stabbed, but he was also cut 50 times around his body and his pants were removed.
The two defendants are being held without bail.
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