In the early evening of January 7, 2020, Golden Hairston, a 28-year-old male, found himself in the parking lot of the Hickory Highlands Apartments in Antioch, Tennessee. He was engaged in a conversation with another man outside of his car when a black SUV approached them. Without warning, shots were fired from the vehicle, and Hairston was struck, falling to the ground as the SUV fled the scene.
He was rushed to a local hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries, marking a tragic start to the new year in the community.
The investigation into the homicide was undertaken by Metro Nashville Police Department detectives. Their efforts eventually led them to identify a suspect, 31-year-old Joseph Dewayne Dunlap. According to the investigation, Dunlap was believed to have been inside the black SUV from which the fatal shots were fired. Despite their initial leads, Dunlap remained at large for several months, prompting law enforcement to seek assistance from the public in locating him.
In October 2020, acting on a tip that Dunlap was in the Hickory Hollow area, detectives with the Gang Unit set up surveillance at the Chimney Top Apartments. When they spotted Dunlap, a foot chase ensued, but he was ultimately apprehended. Following his capture, Dunlap was indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree murder and attempted especially aggravated robbery in connection with Hairston's death.
The case proceeded through the legal system, and in a turn of events that brought frustration to Hairston's family, the murder charge against Joseph Dunlap was dismissed in July 2023. Instead, Dunlap entered a guilty plea to the charge of attempted especially aggravated robbery. While he admitted to being present at the time of the shooting, he denied being the one who pulled the trigger. The resolution of the case without a conviction for murder left Hairston's loved ones feeling that complete justice had not been achieved.
