MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Will Rainess Holmes, one of the suspects accused of shooting and killing a Rhodes College student two years ago, be back on the street soon? That’s the question some have after they got a text alert this week.

In October 2021, Rhodes College student Drew Rainer was shot and killed and others inside the house were left injured during a violent home invasion on North McLean. The shots were fired over an iPad.

After an extensive search, U.S. Marshals arrested 36-year-old Rainess Holmes for first-degree murder.

It’s a case that rocked the community.

The case has not even gone to trial, so imagine the surprise some got when this text alert came this week, saying Holmes is scheduled for release on January 4, 2024.

The alert seems to have come from the victim’s network that alerts crime victims when suspects are about to be released. We did some digging and did find Holmes on the site. It showed he had a parole hearing August 28 and is set for parole January 4 of next year.

Drew Rainer’s aunt, Missy Rainer, spoke to WREG when the search was on for suspects in the case.

“When this happened, we realized how much evil there is in this city and for Drew to be taken from us in such a matter when he was doing nothing wrong,” she said.

WREG reached out to the court system. They said Holmes is set for trial on February 12 of next year on the murder charge, and they don’t have anything about him being released in January.

We also contacted the Board of Parole to find out if Holmes is in fact being released and on what charges since his murder charge has not gone to trial.

The Board of Parole said Rainess Holmes had a parole hearing August 28 related to previous charges of burglary and theft and not the pending murder case. The board voted to continue the hearing for further evaluation and scheduled a review for March 2024.

Meaning, the notice families received doesn’t appear related to the shooting of Drew Rainer. But for those, still dealing with that brutal crime, the text message put them in fear of what an early release could mean.

We will continue to follow the Rainess Holmes case and let you know if anything changes.