6 fugitives arrested in murder-related cases

When Emmitte Madison, who had 19 arrests, escaped from electronic-home monitoring in 2008 while awaiting trial on three charges of attempted murder, he vowed never to return to prison.

"It was learned from several family members that he made statements that he wasn't going back to jail and he would kill any law-enforcement officer who attempted to arrest him," said Jim Burke, supervisor with the U.S. Marshals Service's violent- crimes fugitive task force.

Luckily, that didn't happen. Madison, 37, was one of six men with outstanding murder-related warrants who were apprehended in the last week by the marshals' task force and the city's homicide-fugitive unit.

Madison had fled to Richmond, Va., to stay with family, Burke said.

Madison was tried and convicted in absentia earlier this year of three counts of attempted murder, according to police records.

The jury found that on Sept. 14, 2007, Madison fired 14 shots into his neighbor's second-floor bedroom on Hemberger Street near Jackson in South Philadelphia. Two adults and a 7-month-old child inside escaped injury.

The shooting allegedly stemmed from an argument over a parking space, Burke said.

Investigators captured Madison on March 3 after he was seen getting on a bus in Richmond, Burke said. The bus was pulled over and Madison was arrested without incident.

Other murder warrants cleared by federal and local authorities in the last week include:

* Dennis Johnson, 23, whose Philadelphia address is unknown, was arrested yesterday at his girlfriend's home in Chambersburg, Franklin County, for the alleged murder of Kenyatta Smith, 36, on Aug. 17, 2007.

Smith, of Cumberland Street near 24th, was allegedly shot in the chest by John-son after he robbed him in front of the Lehigh Variety Store on Lehigh Avenue near 30th Street in Strawberry Mansion.

* Tyree Wilson, 20, whose Philadelphia address is unknown, was arrested yesterday in connection with a Feb. 23 double slaying. He was found hiding on the third floor of a friend's North Philadelphia home, Burke said.

Wilson allegedly shot Hassan Baldwin, 25, and Daheem White, 21, as they were sitting inside a car on 10th Street near Thompson in the city's Yorktown section.

Baldwin, of 22nd Street near Montgomery Avenue, and White, who lived near the shooting scene, were killed over an argument, Burke said.

* Kevin Weaver, 22, of Locust Street near 53rd in West Philadelphia, was arrested Monday for the alleged murder of Idris Jackson, 21, of Montgomery Avenue near 54th Street, who was shot at 1:06 a.m. Sunday as he sat in a van on Irving Street near Weaver's house.

Weaver was arrested as he was entering a friend's house in Wynnefield, Burke said.

* Craig Whitney, 20, of Florence Avenue near 58th Street, in Kingsessing, was arrested at his girlfriend's house in Southwest Philadelphia March 4 in connection with the Aug. 10 slaying of Anthony Jackson, Burke said.

According to police, Whitney shot at Jackson's car as he drove along Chester Avenue near 54th Street. Burke said police believe that Whitney targeted Jackson, of Cecil Street near Chester Avenue, but he didn't say why.

* Dashine Tucker, 29, of Allman Street near 60th in Kingsessing, was arrested at a friend's house on March 4 in connection with the shooting death of Michael Walker and the attempted murder of Walker's girlfriend on Sept. 21.

Tucker and Walker allegedly got into a fight at a bar on 65th Street near Buist Avenue, Southwest Philadelphia, on the night of the killing. According to police, Tucker left the bar, returned later with a gun and killed Walker, 32, of Alden Street near Girard Avenue, and shot his 30-year-old girlfriend in the leg. *