Fourth man charged with murder after Norfolk Southern contractor killed in Cobb
A fourth suspect in the September shooting death of a Norfolk Southern contractor was charged with murder while serving a prison sentence in Georgia, Cobb County officials announced Monday.
Christopher Riles, 36, faces charges of felony murder and aggravated assault in connection with the fatal shooting of Curdravious Clark at the railroad company’s facility in Austell, officials said. Arrest warrants for Riles were obtained Oct. 14, and police said he is currently housed at the Calhoun State Prison in South Georgia.
According to records from the Georgia Department of Corrections, Riles has been serving a prison sentence since December 2024 for a charge of gang participation out of Cobb. He has served previous prison stints going back to 2012, records showed. Officials have not said how he was allegedly linked to the fatal incident while in prison.
The announcement comes after three other men — Ty Anthony Thompson, 27, Keondre Johnson, 28, and Michael Riles, 26 — were charged with felony murder and aggravated assault, Cobb police previously said.
Johnson and Michael Riles are also charged with “several weapons offenses,” and are being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, according to police and jail records. Thompson was arrested by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and is being held in Florida pending extradition.
A possible motive in the killing has not been provided.
The incident happened around 10 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Whitaker Intermodal Terminal along Dr. Luke Glenn Garrett Jr. Memorial Highway. A spokesperson for Norfolk Southern confirmed that same day the shooting happened in the parking lot.
Cobb police, who responded to the scene to assist and are investigating the shooting, identified the victim as 27-year-old Clark.
Austell police Capt. Timothy Allen previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution via email that Clark was found lying on the ground suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The man was taken to Wellstar Cobb Medical Center, where he died, Allen said.
“Our hearts are heavy this morning with the loss of our colleague and we extend our deepest sympathies to their friends and family,” the Norfolk Southern spokesperson said in an earlier statement.
Cobb police spokesperson Eric Smith said in a previous news release the suspects were accused of fleeing the scene in a vehicle. Allen described the incident as “isolated.”
Norfolk Southern also said its own police department was investigating the shooting. The company is headquartered in Atlanta and operates in the eastern United States.