In the summer of 2018, the life of 34-year-old Rodrell Matthews, an African American male, was cut short in a tragic and brutal series of events that began in Lithonia, Georgia. On July 9th, Matthews was at a house on Chupp Road, a location known as a local hangout, when a dispute with Rondricques Brundage turned fatal. Following the disagreement, Matthews entered the residence with a handgun at his side and was then shot and killed by Brundage, with whom he had previous disagreements.
What followed the shooting was a calculated and grim effort to conceal the crime. Brundage, with the assistance of another man, wrapped Matthews' body in a tarp and moved it to the trunk of a car. They initially left his body in a wooded area nearby. The next day, they returned to the secluded spot, tied concrete cinder blocks to Matthews' body, and submerged him in the murky waters of the South River off River Road. The vehicle used to transport the body was later abandoned at a home on Spicy Cedar Lane, where a witness alerted police to a foul odor coming from the car. Upon investigation, detectives discovered blood and hair in the trunk, a crucial piece of evidence in the burgeoning case. A fisherman's discovery of a body partially submerged in the river would soon bring the grim reality of Matthews' disappearance to light, several days after his family had reported him missing on July 13, 2018.
The investigation quickly gained momentum, leading law enforcement to identify Rondricques Brundage as the primary suspect. He fled the state but was apprehended two weeks later by U.S. Marshals in Tallahassee, Florida, along with a woman named Caroline Alicia Davis. Another individual, Antavis Ivey, was also implicated. Brundage faced a host of charges, including felony murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and concealing the death of another. Davis and Ivey were charged with concealing a death and tampering with evidence.
In May 2022, a DeKalb County jury found Rondricques Brundage guilty on all counts. During the trial, Brundage claimed he acted in self-defense, a statement that was contradicted by witness testimony indicating that Matthews never raised his weapon. Following the conviction, Brundage awaited sentencing for his role in the murder and the subsequent efforts to hide the evidence of his crime.
