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Man charged in mansion party homicides connected to Joe Morrissey’s wife

Posted at 4:51 PM, Oct 20, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-20 19:22:29-04

RICHMOND, Va. – One of the six men arrested Thursday in connection with a double homicide is linked by marriage to Richmond mayoral candidate Joe Morrissey, multiple sources confirmed.

Djion C. Bowles, 20, of the 2900 block of Blendwell Road in Richmond, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, gang participation and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in relation to the incident.

Neighbors said that Bowles, a Huguenot High School graduate,  is related to the father of Myrna Morrissey – wife of Richmond mayoral candidate Joe Morrissey.  They said Bowles is the grandson of Myrna’s father, whose house was raided early Thursday during Bowles’ arrest.

When asked by CBS 6 about the arrest and familial relationship, Mr. Morrissey said that he did not want to comment positively or negatively about the situation.

Morrissey said he wouldn’t describe the connection between Bowles and his wife as a relationship.  He said they’ve worked to distance themselves and he wished the family the best.

He added that Myrna has not had contact with the suspect in seven or eight years.

Police announced the arrests Thursday, Oct. 20, after weeks of investigation following the death of two male victims; 22-year-old Duval Turner, Jr. of Richmond and 24-year-old Marc Starkes of Amelia. A third person at the party was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The other five arrested were Kennson Clairsaint, Corey T. Harris, Kendric R. Hill, Devin D. Taylor and Tevon J. Todd.  All were arrested and charged  the same as Bowles.

This operation was a collaborative effort involving the Chesterfield County Police Department, Richmond City Police Department, Henrico County Police Division, Richmond FBI, Virginia State Police and the U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force.

Police previously said that when shots rang out at the party, roughly 300 people were at the house. The crimes took place just before 2 a.m. on Sept. 4, inside a home under construction in the 15000 block of Chesdin Green Way.

Police called the crime scene a “mansion party,” which is a house under construction where party-goers are given the address on social media.

At this juncture in the investigation, police have not commented on the gang participation charges or given a motive for the shooting, nor released mugshots of the suspects. This is a developing story.

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