Charges dropped against men accused of strip club shooting

By Christian Boone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Joey Celestin and Bill Nichols, arrested three weeks ago and charged in the shooting death of a DeKalb strip club owner, have been exonerated after new evidence surfaced placing the men at work when the incident occurred.

Enlarge photo

Phil Skinner, pskinner@ajc.com Dekalb County Police crime scene investigators inspect a fatal crime scene at Pin Up's Adult Entertainment off East Ponce de Leon in Decatur on Tuesday, Sept. 7th. According to witnesses, Terry Stephenson, one of Pin Ups' owners, was shot several times and died.

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"It would've been impossible for them to be the shooters," Celestin's attorney, Mike Jacobs, told the AJC.

DeKalb County police confirmed that charges against the two men have been dropped.

"New information has come up and detectives are looking into it, but these new developments do not mean the detectives can not revisit charges against these two individuals in the future," police spokeswoman Mekka Parish told the AJC.

Police declined to release additional details about the case.

Meanwhile, the stripper who fingered Celestin has disappeared, Jacobs said.

"Investigators haven't been able to find her," said Jacobs, who's also been unsuccessful in tracking down the missing dancer, who supplied DeKalb police with Celestin's  tag. She alleged that Celestin and Nichols gunned down 49-year-old Terry Stephenson, of Dacula, as he exited the club en route to make a bank deposit.

But a new witness emerged who said he was certain the shooting took place at 1 p.m. -- the same time Celestin and Nichols punched in at Atlanta Kitchen, where both men work. According to Jacobs, the witness said he spotted a black Cadillac DeVille speed out the back entrance of the E. Ponce de Leon club; Celestin drives a Dodge Charger, his attorney said.

Celestin and Nichols were having lunch at Pin Ups and left just before the shooting. Celestin knew the dancer who accused him, Jacobs said.

The police department dropped the warrants against Celestin and Nichols, the DeKalb District Attorney's Office spokesman told the AJC.

Stephenson's mother declined to comment when reached by telephone.

- Alexis Stevens contributed to this report.