Mackenzie McCord Strickland, a 27-year-old Black man, was trying to turn his life around. According to his mother, after a troubled youth that led to prison time, Mackenzie had returned to Asheville, North Carolina, was working, and had started to build his own businesses. His girlfriend, Dana Kite, said he was great with her children and his own nieces and nephews, and his family remembered him as someone who cared about people and tried to help where he could.
On the night of January
18, 2023, police responded to reports of gunfire on Southern Street in Asheville at about 11:36 p.m. They found Mackenzie outside a home with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical services arrived, but he had already succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting was the city’s first homicide of the year.
The investigation quickly focused on a man Mackenzie knew. According to his girlfriend, the dispute began over a $100 payment for a tattoo. Mackenzie had reportedly agreed to give a tattoo to Cody Lee Guyton, an acquaintance he had met and befriended while they were incarcerated together. Guyton paid for the tattoo, but it was never completed. On the night of the shooting, Guyton was angry and called Mackenzie. Mackenzie stepped outside his girlfriend’s home to take the call, and just seconds later, she heard gunshots.
Less than 24 hours later, on January 19, 2023, police arrested 30-year-old Cody Lee Guyton on Tunnel Road and charged him with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. The investigation continued, and on May 1, 2023, authorities arrested a second man. Jamel Marquis Fisher, 26, was taken into custody in West Asheville and charged with felony accessory after the fact. During his arrest, officers found a 9 mm Walther CCP pistol, leading to an additional charge of carrying a concealed gun.
In June 2025, Cody Lee Guyton’s trial for the first-degree murder of Mackenzie Strickland began. However, after deliberating for over 11 hours, the jury informed the court that they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. As a result, the judge declared a mistrial on June 11. As of June 2025, the case against Guyton was pending further legal proceedings.
