James Thomas claimed someone else was driving his car in 2021 and fired the shot that killed a Houston rapper on I-85, according to the Gwinnett County district attorney.
But the jury didn’t believe him.
Late last week, Thomas was convicted of murder in the death of Corey Detiege, a 33-year-old rapper with the stage name “Chucky Trill.” Thomas was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 105 years.
“The jury found that the defendant’s ‘digital fingerprints’ and threats against Mr. Detiege established the guilt of the defendant,” the DA’s office said in a statement.
The case was featured in an episode of the “First 48″ that aired on the A&E network in September.
Credit: Bill Clair Family Mortuary
Credit: Bill Clair Family Mortuary
On March 5, 2021, at around 3 a.m., Detiege was shot to death inside a vehicle near the Jimmy Carter Boulevard exit, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Detiege was visiting Atlanta during the NBA All-Star Game weekend and was driving a rented SUV after going to a Gwinnett nightclub, according to investigators.
Detiege was the only one shot when eight bullets were fired, investigators said.
Gwinnett police detectives used traffic cameras, license plate scanners and surveillance footage to identify the suspect’s vehicle, the DA’s office said. Detiege’s wife, Cherish, told police Thomas, who lived in the Atlanta area, held a grudge against her husband over a botched drug deal in Houston in July 2020.
She also told investigators that Thomas was nicknamed “Legz” because he had lost both of his legs below the knees in a train accident. Investigators determined the vehicle was registered to Thomas, who also had a driver’s license restriction of “prosthetics required.”
In December 2021, Thomas was arrested after getting off an airplane at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, according to police.
During the trial, prosecutors told jurors how cellphone records showed Thomas followed Detiege in the hours before his death.
“The prosecutors also presented evidence of specific threats against Mr. Detiege in text conversations on the defendant’s phone,” the DA’s office said.
Thomas was convicted of malice murder, aggravated assault and using a firearm during the commission of a crime. On Wednesday, he remained in the Gwinnett jail awaiting transfer to a state prison.
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