In the early evening of October 26, 2022, James Caldwell Jr., a 29-year-old Black male, was fatally shot near the intersection of Horton Avenue and Colonel Lee Archer Boulevard in New Rochelle, New York. A rising local rapper known as 'Boogie Nation,' Caldwell was a father and a celebrated figure in his community. The shooting, which occurred just steps from a police station, sent shockwaves through the city.
First responders found Caldwell with multiple gunshot wounds and transported him to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into Caldwell's death quickly focused on an acquaintance, Mtayari Z. Dixon. Surveillance footage from the scene captured a man identified as Dixon, then 29, approaching Caldwell before shots were fired. The video then shows the suspect calmly walking away from the scene, putting in earbuds, and heading towards the Metro-North train station. Investigators believe the motive stemmed from a soured professional relationship. Dixon, a music producer, had collaborated with Caldwell on a song, but it was poorly received, leading Caldwell to remove it from his online platforms. This professional slight is believed to have fostered a growing animosity in Dixon, which escalated to threats and ultimately, violence.
Within minutes of the shooting, Dixon had fled New Rochelle. Cell phone records tracked his movements to a bus station in New York City, where he boarded a bus to Atlanta, Georgia. From there, his trail continued to South Carolina and then to Charlotte, North Carolina, where his phone was turned off. In the weeks following the murder, a state arrest warrant was issued for Dixon, charging him with murder. As the search intensified, the FBI joined the investigation, issuing a federal arrest warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture. Despite the extensive manhunt and his case being featured on 'America's Most Wanted,' Mtayari Dixon remains a fugitive. He is considered armed and dangerous, and authorities believe he may be receiving assistance from friends or family to evade capture.
