A preliminary hearing for a Powhatan County teenager charged in the shooting death of another local youth has been set for Aug. 27.

Joseph "Joey" Parrish, 17, will appear in Powhatan General District Court the same date as his co-defendants, Ethan Parrish, 24, and Stephanie Reynolds, 19. All are charged with first-degree murder, aggravated malicious wounding and two counts of use of a firearm in the death of 18-year-old Tahliek Taliaferro.

The two Parrishes, who are BREAKING
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7/16/08 2:29 PM
on inRich.com cousins, and Reynolds disappeared for several days after the shooting before turning themselves in to authorities. All three are being held without bond.

Law-enforcement officers have said Taliaferro, a Powhatan High School student, died from a single shot to the back of the head from an assault rifle. The shooting occurred June 24 near an ice-cream shop that's a popular hangout for Powhatan teenagers.

Another youth, Courtney Jones, was injured in the shooting.

Joseph Parrish was in court yesterday on charges unrelated to the slaying. Judge Valentine W. Southall Jr. of Powhatan Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court declined to open the hearing, saying the charges were unrelated and that though some of them were felonies, others were misdemeanors, "and it would be difficult to separate them out."

Before that hearing got under way, Southall scheduled Parrish's August hearing date. As Parrish was brought into court, he looked back at his parents and gave a slight smile.

Parrish was represented by Jason Moore during yesterday's appearance. But Parrish's parents told the judge they will hire someone else to represent their son on the charges arising from the shooting.

Southall asked that the family return to court July 30 with proof that they have hired an attorney.

"We need to get this lined up just as quickly as we can," he said.
Contact Jamie C. Ruff at (434) 392-6605 or jruff@timesdispatch.com.