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Suspects in Capt. Quick’s death had gang ties, recently released from prison

Posted at 5:41 PM, Feb 07, 2014
and last updated 2014-02-07 23:31:36-05

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – Court documents reveal a disturbing criminal history for two men arrested in connection with Waynesboro police captain Kevin Quick’s death.

The case has transitioned from an investigation into a disappearance, into an official death investigation. Late Thursday night police arrested three more people in connection with the case; two men and a woman.

Leslie Hope Casterlow, age 49, of Manassas, Anthony Darnell Stokes Jr., age 31, of Manassas and  Halisi Uhuru, age 22, of Danville, were charged with Principle 2nd Degree Capital Murder During Abduction.

This charge is different from Capital Murder in that it is not punishable by death penalty but is punishable by life in prison.

The Commonwealth's Attorney has also added a felony count of Gang Participation for each  individual, though investigators would not go into detail.

The trio are being held at the Henrico County Jail West and will be in court on Monday.

A CBS 6 investigation revealed that 31-year-old Anthony Stokes and 22-year-old Gert Wright, also known as Halisi Uhuru, were recently released from prison.

In fact, 31-year-old Anthony Stokes spent 12 years, nearly half of his life in prison for crimes he committed when he was just 19. He was convicted on possession of a weapon, robbery, kidnapping and use of a firearm charges.

Court records show that at age 14, Uhuru was arrested under the name Gert Arthur Wright, III.  That arrest took place in Oct. 2005, in Waynesboro where Quick served as a reservist police captain.

Wright was arrested for robbery and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, according to Waynesboro court records.

An old article on the website for TV affiliate, WHSV, indicates that Wright and two others stole money, food and electronic games during an armed robbery in an alley near an elementary school.

Those charges were dismissed, according to Waynesboro court documents.

Just two years later, when Wright was 16, he was picked up again and charged with robbery after police said he pulled a pistol on a man at an ATM in Norfolk.

When police found Wright and his accomplices at a nearby hotel, they discovered gang-related paraphernalia, like red bandannas and a hat reading “NTG-Eastside.”

The “Nine Trey Gangstas” gang is associated with the criminal street gang, “Bloods.”

Wright told police in Norfolk he was a two star general in the gang and had been a member for four years.

You can see the word “Blood” tattooed onto his face in his current mugshot.

Wright was sentenced to seven years in prison, but he wrote several letters asking the judge for a shorter sentence.

Quick wrote, “I am 16-years-old, and I know I can have a positive future.”

Relatives also wrote the judge on Wright’s behalf.

An aunt wrote, “We as a family strongly feel that Gert is destined for greatness.”

Wright was released in December of 2013, which is roughly two months before he would be arrested and charged with murder in connection with Kevin Quick’s death.

The other suspect with a criminal past and facing murder charges is Stokes, who was released from prison in October 2012.

Before being arrested, Stokes was under supervision by Manassas probation and parole. Wright was being monitored by parole officers in Danville.

An investigation into Leslie Casterlow's past did not turn up much of a criminal history.

There are a total of five suspects arrested in connection with Quick's death investigation. Originally there were six suspects, but one--Shantai Shelton--was taken into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant in Louisa County.

Shelton's two siblings, Mersadies Shelton, age 20,  and Daniel Mathis, age 18,  have been charged with one felony count each of grand larceny, in connection with the Quick's 4Runner that was taken. The three siblings lived less than two miles away from where Quick was headed on Friday night, in Charlottesville.

All three siblings are being held without bond at the Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange County.

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