Corey Detiege, a 33-year-old male rapper known professionally as Chucky Trill, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of March 5, 2021, in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Detiege, who was from Sugar Land, Texas, was in Atlanta for the NBA All-Star weekend to perform at a virtual event and make music connections. The shooting occurred around 3 a.m. on Interstate 85 South near Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
Detiege was driving a rented SUV with four friends when another vehicle pulled alongside and someone inside opened fire. He was struck by at least one bullet and was the only person in his vehicle to be shot. After the shooting, his vehicle came to a stop on the interstate. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Initially, the motive for the shooting was unknown, and police had no description of the suspect's vehicle.
In December 2021, authorities arrested James Edward Thomas at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in connection with the murder. Investigators used traffic cameras and license plate scanners to identify a suspect vehicle, which they traced to Thomas. Detiege's wife informed police that Thomas, who went by the nickname 'Legz' because he had lost both legs below the knees in a train accident, held a grudge against her husband over a drug deal that had gone wrong in Houston the previous year. Further investigation, including analysis of cell phone data, showed that Thomas had followed Detiege to two different nightclubs before the fatal shooting on the interstate. Prosecutors also presented evidence of threatening text messages Thomas had sent to Detiege.
A jury convicted James Thomas of malice murder, aggravated assault, and using a firearm during the commission of a crime. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 105 years to be served consecutively.
