On an early Monday morning in October 2018, 28-year-old Kelsey Quayle was on her way to work at a dentist's office in Riverdale, Georgia. A Caucasian woman, she had recently moved to the Atlanta area from California to pursue her modeling career. As she drove along Upper Riverdale Road, her car suddenly veered into oncoming traffic, resulting in a multi-vehicle collision.
Initially, the incident was treated as a tragic car accident, but the devastating truth would soon be revealed at the hospital.
While treating her for what were believed to be injuries from the crash, medical personnel discovered that Quayle had sustained a gunshot wound to her neck. This discovery shifted the focus of the investigation from a traffic accident to a homicide. The gunshot had caused catastrophic damage, and despite medical efforts, Kelsey Quayle was declared brain dead. A few days later, on October 10, 2018, she was removed from life support.
The Clayton County Police Department launched a homicide investigation, a task made difficult by the lack of immediate witnesses to the shooting itself. Investigators believed the shooting was likely a random act, possibly the result of road rage or her being caught in a crossfire. In the days following her death, police released surveillance video from a nearby gas station showing Quayle's car just moments before the crash. They appealed to the public for help, specifically asking to speak with the drivers of a white SUV and a gray sedan that were seen in the vicinity.
Weeks later, the investigation yielded a person of interest. Police released new surveillance footage, this time from a MARTA bus, which captured a man who they believed may have been involved in an altercation in the area where Quayle was shot. The video showed the man, described as having a thin build and possibly long hair, knocking on the door of the bus but not being allowed to enter. He was reportedly driving a gray or light-colored sedan, possibly a 2011-2014 Chrysler 200, with a missing hubcap or a donut tire on the right rear. Despite the release of this information and pleas from Quayle's family for anyone with information to come forward, no arrests have been made in the case. The death of Kelsey Quayle remains an unsolved homicide.
