SPOKANE, Wash. — The man accused of last Friday made his first court appearance.
According to court documents from Spokane County Superior Court, officers responded to reports of gunshots around 7 p.m. on Oct. 17 in the area of East Mission Avenue and North Cincinnati Street near .
Investigators said the victim, , had been pistol-whipped and shot. When officers arrived, they found Cranford in a yard on East Sinto Avenue. He was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center, where he died a few hours later.
Court docs said that Cranford, another person and the suspect, identified as 33-year-old Zachary McGriff, were arguing over the title of a car. Witnesses told police that Cranford had purchased the car at an auction and later sold it to McGriff. The two reportedly began arguing over the paperwork, with McGriff claiming he was given the registration instead of the title.
The argument escalated and one of the men allegedly struck Cranford with a pistol before tackling him to the ground. Cranford was then shot and killed, according to police.
Police said that McGriff and another suspect fled the scene but were later arrested. It is unclear when police took them into custody, but McGriff was booked into the Spokane County Jail on Tuesday.
McGriff was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery. His bond was set at $1.5 million.
