In the spring of 2018, the life of Timothy L. Gilliam, a 56-year-old male, was abruptly ended in his Kingsport, Tennessee home. On the evening of April 19th, Kingsport Police officers were dispatched to his residence on Stapleton Drive following a report of a shooting. Inside, they discovered Mr. Gilliam, who had succumbed to what appeared to be gunshot wounds.
The initial discovery launched an intensive homicide investigation by the department's Criminal Investigations Division.
Detectives worked diligently, pursuing various leads in the hours and days that followed. Their efforts soon zeroed in on a primary suspect, Corey Lee Moore. By the evening of April 20th, a warrant for first-degree murder was issued for his arrest. In the early morning hours of April 21st, patrol officers located Moore in the parking lot of the Model City Apartments on Stonegate Road and took him into custody without incident.
Further investigation revealed the involvement of a second individual, Chandryia L. White, who was identified as Moore's girlfriend. Authorities determined that White was with Moore when he was apprehended. The investigation suggested that White had prior knowledge of Moore's intent to rob Mr. Gilliam and had assisted Moore in his attempts to evade capture following the homicide. Initially giving false statements to investigators, her role became clearer as the case progressed.
In September 2018, a Sullivan County Grand Jury returned indictments against both individuals. Corey Lee Moore was charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, especially aggravated robbery, and tampering with evidence. Chandryia L. White faced charges of accessory to murder after the fact, robbery, and tampering with evidence. She was taken into custody in October of that year.
