Houston police say suspect identified in BTB Savage's murder remains on the run

Angelina Velasquez
Updated ·2 min read
Crime scene
Crime scene

Houston police have identified and charged a man with murder in connection to the fatal shooting of BTB Savage. But there is a catch: The suspect remains on the run.

Authorities say a manhunt is underway for Montrel Burley, 40, and at least one other unidentified suspect, according to a Friday (April 7) report from ABC13. Last week, police confirmed the rapper’s death just days after fans speculated that Savage had been gunned down after posting a controversial photo at a crime scene.

Bernita Ward, his mother, said she warned her son to delete the image. “I said, ‘Take that off social media. Let this family mourn in peace.’ They were taunting my son, though, telling him they were going to kill the family, make his mother cry, and kill his son. I told my son, ‘Don’t respond. Let it go.’ But their family member came to rob my son,” she claimed.

As previously reported, Savage was killed on March 30 in Texas’ affluent River Oaks neighborhood. The following day (March 31), Police Chief Troy Finner confirmed reports of a fatal shooting involving Savage. Finner told the media that the “Scam Story” artist was in a white Mercedes when a black Subaru SUV pulled up beside him, and two men dressed in black exited the vehicle. The gunmen unleashed several rounds of ammunition into Savage’s vehicle, killing him on the spot.

Ward said her son was weary that he might be targeted days ahead of his demise. “My son knew something was up,” she told the news outlet. She recalled that in February, Savage, whose real name is Darrell Gentry, was at home with his girlfriend when a group of men attempted to rob him. In an interview circulated online, he admitted that his girlfriend shot at least one of the thieves. He also acknowledged that the actions could come at the price of someone seeking vengeance. “That’s why he was trying to leave,” said Ward. “When my son pulled out, he was heading to the airport to come to me, but they killed him.”

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