Suspect in Chester slaying surrenders, 2 others charged

William "Joc" Graham walked into the Chester County Sheriff's Office Monday, accompanied by his parents, and turned himself in, three days after being charged with murder in a fatal shooting at a Chester hospital.

Two other men also were arrested Monday, bringing to five the number of people charged in connection with the Sept. 20 shooting outside Chester Regional Medical Center, and a related fatal shooting at the nearby Studio 72 nightclub.

More people could be charged, Chester Sheriff Richard Smith said.

"We hope these arrests make people feel safe," he said. "You have these men off the street. Hopefully they won't be committing crimes any time soon.

"We need the continued assistance and cooperation of the citizens of Chester County if we can ever expect to end this cycle of violence."

William Jo Pierre "Joc" Graham, 21, of Armory Road in Chester, turned himself in around midday Monday, Smith said.

He is charged with murder in the shooting death of 20-year-old Derek Chalk, who was helping his cousin and another victim of the nightclub shooting into the hospital's emergency room.

Also charged Monday were Cedric Shunta Owens, 22, and Lamont Dupree Howze, 25, both of Chester.

Owens is charged with possession of a stolen pistol in connection with a weapon recovered at a vehicle at the hospital, Smith said. Howze faces a charge related to withholding information during the investigation.

Last week, deputies arrested two others in connection with the shootings.

Townsel "Romeo" Rambert, 21, of Pineridge Road in Chester, is charged with three counts of attempted murder, three counts of possession of a firearm during a violent crime and unlawful possession of a pistol. Smith said Rambert reportedly shot three people after a fight broke out inside the nightclub.

Quinton Cortez "Q-Baby" Howze, 22, of Lucious Davis Drive in Chester, is charged with accessory after the fact of murder in Chalk's death. Smith said Howze helped Graham after the shooting.

A "person of interest" in the fatal shooting of Antonio Price, 24, at the nightclub was taken into custody last week on a probation violation. That person has not been charged or publicly identified.

According to the State Law Enforcement Division, Graham, Lamont Howze and Rambert have not been convicted of any crimes in South Carolina; Quinton Howze has been convicted of a misdemeanor weapons violation. Owens has been convicted of misdemeanor drug possession.

Having a suspect in custody in connection with the "brazen" shooting outside the hospital should help the community breathe more easily, said the Rev. Bill Stringfellow, president of the Chester NAACP, who helped organize an anti-violence march in Chester on Saturday.

"It helps ease the tension for the families involved and others in the community," Stringfellow said. "We hope this will be a start of the end of violence in Chester.

"We hope this will send a message to the youths on a similar path."

Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 888-274-6372. Possible rewards are up to $1,000.

The State Law Enforcement Division, the Chester Police Department and the 6th Circuit Solicitor's Office are working with the sheriff's office in the investigation.

This story was originally published September 28, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Suspect in Chester slaying surrenders, 2 others charged."