In what began as a chance encounter in a Home Depot parking lot in Detroit, Michigan, a dispute between two men who knew each other escalated into a fatal shooting. Rehk Senbi Imhotep, a 42-year-old male contractor, was killed on October 12, 2015, following a minor traffic incident that spiraled out of control.
Imhotep was leaving the Home Depot on Meyers Street when he reportedly cut off another pickup truck.
The driver of the other vehicle, later identified as 43-year-old Timothy Leon Terry, followed Imhotep. A brief, heated argument ensued between the two men from their respective vehicles. During the confrontation, Terry fired two shots, striking Imhotep. Despite his injuries, Imhotep attempted to drive away, but his truck crashed into a street sign nearby. He succumbed to his wounds shortly after.
Detroit Police launched an investigation and, with the help of surveillance footage, identified Terry as the suspect. They released his image to the public, warning that he was considered armed and dangerous. Investigators revealed that Terry and Imhotep had a prior business relationship that had soured, with the motive for the shooting believed to be a dispute over money from a previous job. Terry's vehicle, a late model silver GMC or Chevrolet pickup truck with a black tarp covering the bed, was also described to the public.
After a manhunt that lasted several months, Timothy Leon Terry was apprehended in Middletown, Ohio, in February 2016 by U.S. Marshals. He was extradited back to Detroit to face charges. Terry was charged with first-degree premeditated murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Following a trial, a jury found Terry guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder, as well as the two firearm offenses. Due to his prior criminal history, he was sentenced as a fourth-offense habitual offender. His sentence consisted of 40 to 80 years in prison for the murder conviction, a concurrent term of 40 to 60 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a consecutive two-year sentence for the felony-firearm conviction.
