In May of 2014, a dispute between roommates over five thousand dollars culminated in the murder of 25-year-old Tion Casterman in Atlanta, Georgia. The tragic events unfolded inside the apartment Casterman shared with his killer, Teon Graham. The two had been embroiled in a disagreement concerning the proceeds of a fraudulent student loan they had acquired together.
When Casterman refused to give Graham his demanded share, the argument escalated, and Graham shot his roommate once in the back of the head.
Following the murder, Graham’s actions became increasingly audacious. He contacted a mutual female friend and confessed to the killing. When she expressed disbelief, he proceeded to send her a chilling text message containing a photograph of Casterman's lifeless body. His efforts to conceal the crime did not end there. Graham then drove to another friend's residence and, at gunpoint, coerced him into helping dispose of the body. They placed Casterman's remains in the trunk of the victim's own car.
Graham then undertook a grim journey to West Blocton, Alabama, a location familiar to him from his upbringing. There, he discarded Casterman's body in a wooded area. In an attempt to evade capture, he continued on to Houma, Louisiana, where he sought refuge at the home of the mother of his child. However, his flight from justice was short-lived. Anonymous Facebook messages began to circulate, alerting Graham's girlfriend and her mother to Casterman's disappearance and Graham's suspected involvement. This prompted a call to the local sheriff's office.
Initially arrested on an unrelated larceny warrant from Alabama, Graham's connection to the murder quickly became the focus of the investigation. During an interview with detectives, he confessed to killing Tion Casterman and disclosed the location where he had hidden the body. A search of Graham's luggage uncovered a. 380 caliber pistol that was later matched to the bullet recovered from the victim. Further evidence was found in the trunk of Casterman's car, where a significant amount of his blood was discovered. In December 2018, Teon Graham pleaded guilty to a litany of charges, including murder, and was sentenced to life in prison for his crimes.
