On December 28, 2020, 23-year-old Chanceler McCall was last seen by his mother driving his maroon Dodge Challenger in Decatur, Georgia. He was reportedly going to the home of a man with whom he had an ongoing dispute over a debt. That same evening, DeKalb County police responded to a 'person shot' call on Donnell Way. At the scene, they found a pool of blood in the road that someone appeared to have tried to wash away with a water hose, along with several shell casings. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and then seeing two men place a body into a dark-colored vehicle and drive away. The victim, however, was gone when police arrived. McCall's mother officially reported him missing on December 31, 2020.
The investigation quickly moved forward when DNA from the blood at the scene matched a sample provided by McCall's mother. A significant break in the case came when McCall's Dodge Challenger was found abandoned and burned about a mile and a half from the shooting scene. In March 2021, authorities arrested two suspects, Earnest Lee Johnson Jr. and Brandon Jelani McCullough. Both men were charged with felony murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault. Investigators alleged that Johnson shot McCall with an AR-15 rifle and that McCullough also shot him, after which they disposed of his body. A search of Johnson's home uncovered an AR-15 that matched the casings found at the scene. Johnson's internet search history in the days leading up to the incident included terms like 'malice aforethought' and 'homicide.'
For over a year, McCall's whereabouts remained unknown. Then, on December 16, 2021, his skeletal remains were discovered in a wooded area in Morgan County, near Interstate 20. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed his identity using dental records. In February 2025, Earnest Lee Johnson, then 28, was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, second-degree arson, and concealing the death of another. The charges against the second suspect, Brandon Jelani McCullough, were eventually dropped because the prosecution did not believe they had enough evidence to prove the case against him beyond a reasonable doubt. The case of Chanceler McCall is a tragic story that began with a dispute over a debt and ended in a calculated and violent act. The subsequent investigation pieced together evidence from the crime scene, witness statements, and digital footprints to bring one of the individuals responsible to justice, though the pain of his loss remains for his loved ones.
Last Seen: Dec 28, 2020
