In the summer of 2014, the life of Timothy Marzettie, a 41-year-old Black/African American man, was tragically cut short in his Omaha, Nebraska home. On the night of June 25th, what began as an ordinary evening descended into violence when two intruders forced their way into his residence. The incident, which unfolded as a home invasion, ended with Marzettie being fatally shot.
Witnesses at the scene provided initial accounts to investigators, setting in motion a search for those responsible for his death. The sudden and violent nature of his passing sent ripples of grief and shock through his community, leaving friends and family to mourn the loss of a man they described as having strong ties to his family.
The investigation into Marzettie's murder quickly led Omaha police to a primary suspect: Corleone McCurry. Just four days after the shooting, on June 29, McCurry was apprehended by law enforcement. The motive behind the deadly encounter appeared to stem from a dispute concerning a woman who had previously worked for Marzettie as a prostitute. Prosecutors alleged that McCurry had gone to Marzettie's home looking for this woman, and the confrontation escalated, resulting in McCurry pulling out a gun and shooting Marzettie once in the chest. McCurry's girlfriend, Brittani Brown, was also implicated and faced charges as an accessory to a felony. It was believed that McCurry used Brown's vehicle on the night of the murder.
Following his arrest, Corleone McCurry was charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He was held without bond. In June 2015, a Douglas County jury found McCurry guilty on all counts after deliberating for nearly five hours. For the charge of first-degree murder, he received a mandatory life sentence in prison. He was also sentenced for the weapons charges. While McCurry's legal team appealed the conviction, arguing that the evidence supported a lesser charge of manslaughter due to a "sudden quarrel," the conviction for first-degree murder was ultimately upheld.
