Abbas Eltaib Elshikh
August 18, 2006
Greensboro, North Carolina

News-Record
(Greensboro, North Carolina)
March 10, 2007

16-year-old charged in taxi killing

By Jonathan D. Jones
Staff Writer

GREENSBORO - Police arrested a 16-year-old boy Friday in 
connection with the killing of a taxi driver last year. A second 
suspect was still at large.

Officers found Quinn Devon Walker, 16, in a room at the 
Cavalier Inn on West J.J. Drive Friday. He was arrested shortly 
after noon and was charged with first-degree murder in the 
August death of Abbas Eltaib Elshikh, said Capt. Gary Hastings 
of the Greensboro Police. Walker also is facing a robbery 
charge.

A second suspect, Safye Rahmad Townsend, 18, had not been 
arrested as of Friday night. Police also have taken out a first-
degree murder warrant against Townsend.

He is thought to be in the Greensboro area, Hastings said.

Elshikh, 36, was killed Aug. 18 while driving a fare for United 
Yellow Cab.

His death initially was classified as an accident. He was found in 
the driver's seat after his cab hit a van, a motorcycle and two 
Marsh Street houses late on a Friday night. He was taken to 
Moses Cone Hospital and was pronounced dead.

But a preliminary autopsy in Chapel Hill showed that Elshikh had 
been shot.

Police do not think the two suspects knew Elshikh, Hastings said 
Friday. Hastings wouldn't reveal many details of the case 
because a second suspect is still at large.

"Basically, it's been an ongoing investigation since August," 
Hastings said. "We developed some leads in recent weeks that 
led to the suspects being involved."

Elshikh was a Sudanese immigrant. He had worked for the cab 
company for at least five years before his death.

Two nights after Elshikh's death, another driver for the same 
company was attacked. He escaped unharmed.

Walker is being held without bond in the Guilford County jail.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

News-Record
(Greensboro, North Carolina)
June 26, 2007

Teen could face death penalty in killing of cab driver

By Jonathan D. Jones
Staff Writer

GREENSBORO - A 19-year-old Greensboro man can face the 
death penalty when he is tried in the killing of a cabbie, a judge 
ruled Tuesday.

Safye Rahmon Townsend, of 1408 Randolph St., is charged with 
first-degree murder in the August 2006 killing of Abbas Eltaib 
Elshikh.

Elshikh, 36, was working his regular shift as a driver for United 
Yellow Taxi on Aug. 18 when he was shot in the head and 
robbed on Marsh Street. Police originally reported his death as a 
fatal traffic accident.

"It was initially thought that he had some sort of heart attack or 
stroke and lost control of his vehicle," Assistant District Attorney 
Kelly Thompson said in court Tuesday. "He had what looked like 
a scratch on his head."

A subsequent autopsy showed that the scratch was really a bullet 
wound from a small-caliber gun, Thompson said.

Townsend's co-defendant, Quinn Devon Walker, is not facing the 
death penalty because of his age, Thompson said. The 17-year-
old also is charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a 
dangerous weapon.

Thompson asked the court to allow the death penalty as an 
option because the killing occurred during the commission of 
another felony - the robbery of Elshikh - and that is one of the 
factors that can qualify a case for capital punishment.

Special Superior Court Judge Karl Adkins granted the request. 
Townsend's attorney, J. Scott Coalter, did not object.

During the brief hearing Tuesday, Thompson gave a short 
overview of the state's case against Townsend. She said there 
were few leads initially, but Crime Stoppers tips led police to 
Walker and Townsend.

A witness told police the pair had discussed robbing a cab driver 
in order to get some quick cash the night Elshikh died, 
Thompson said. That witness later heard the two talking about 
what happened.

She also said that a shell-casing at the crime scene matched 
several found at a location where Townsend and Walker had 
been in the past.

Townsend and Walker were arrested in March. Both are being 
held in the Guilford County Jail.

Elshikh was a Sudanese immigrant who had been driving cabs in 
Greensboro for five years prior to his death.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

News-Record
(Greensboro, North Carolina)
August 7, 2007

Gang member arrested in '06 slaying of cab driver

From Staff Reports

GREENSBORO - A third suspect faces charges he killed a 
Greensboro taxi driver Aug. 19, 2006, police said today.

Jeffery Bernard Cobb, 21, of 1200 Orchard St., was charged with 
first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon, 
according to Greensboro police.

Cobb, a known gang member, was arrested in the Guilford 
County jail, where he was in custody for other unrelated charges, 
police said.

Others already been charged in the case are Quinn Devon 
Walker, 16, and Safye Rahmad Townsend, 18.

According to police, Abbas Eltaib Elshikh, 36, was working his 
regular shift as a driver for United Yellow Taxi on Aug. 18, 2006, 
when he was shot in the head and robbed on Marsh Street.

Police ask people with information to call 373-2255 or 
Crimestoppers at 373-1000.

This news digest is for informative purposes only. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 and The Berne Convention on Literary and Artistic Works, Article 10, news clippings on this site are made available without profit for research and education.

[ Back to top ]