A marijuana deal set up through Instagram turned deadly in Delaware County, police say

A Delaware County man who said he was looking to buy marijuana found a would-be seller on Instagram, then robbed and killed him, police say.

Rhashaun Freeman, of Folcroft, told Terrence Murray, 22, to meet him at an address in Sharon Hill to sell him some marijuana, then shot him, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.

Freeman, 24, has been charged with murder, robbery, conspiracy, and gun violations. He remained in custody, denied bail. There was no indication he had hired an attorney.

Police in Darby were called to Calcon Hook Road on Jan. 29 for reports of a shooting, and found Murray wounded in a parked Acura TLX, the affidavit said. He had been shot once in the chest, and was taken to Crozer Chester Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

The driver of the car told police he drove Murray to the 400 block of Clifton Avenue in nearby Sharon Hill to sell marijuana, the affidavit said. Two men approached the car, and one of them asked Murray whether “the weed is good.”

As Murray reached down to grab the bag of marijuana at his feet, one of the men, later identified as Freeman, pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it into the car. The driver told police he sped off and heard a gunshot as he pulled away.

Murray later told him he’d been shot, according to the affidavit.

Detectives reviewed Instagram messages Murray had sent to his potential buyer and traced the account to Freeman. Cell phone records showed Freeman had used that phone at his home in Folcroft on the day of the killing.

The shooting was recorded on nearby surveillance cameras, which showed two men approaching the Acura, and one of them raising a gun and firing into it, the affidavit said.

Freeman was unable to legally possess a gun because of a felony conviction for receiving stolen property, court records show. He also has convictions for DUI, drug possession, providing false identification to law enforcement, and simple assault, records show.

Murray’s mother, Melonie Revak, declined to comment Thursday, referring a reporter to the obituary her family had written about him.

In that remembrance, they described Murray, who had a twin brother and six sisters, as “a shining example of love, laughter, and compassion.”

“TJ’s departure from this world has left a void that can never be filled, but his memory will continue to live on in the hearts of those he touched,” his family wrote. “The legacy of love and laughter that he leaves behind will serve as a source of comfort and strength for his family and friends in the days ahead.”