Tennessee cold case detectives rearrest suspect first accused 11 years ago of fatally shooting store owner: cops
Authorities in Tennessee have re-arrested a man in connection to an unsolved murder at a store 11 years ago.
Chattanooga police took Antonio DeJong Espey Jr., 28, into custody and accused him of the cold case death of Herbert Strickland at Big K Market, officials announced.
In May 2011, police believed Strickland, who owned the business, was shot in the head while he was trying to protect a store clerk from the alleged gunman, WDEF-TV reported.
Espey was named a suspect in the case a short time later, but prosecutors were unable to take the case to court and he was never convicted of the crime.
- He murdered over $18 of liquor. But, it wasn't until he confessed decades later in prison that cops closed the cold case.
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According to law enforcement officials, the District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit rearrested Espey after investigators recently uncovered new developments related to the deadly incident.
Espey was being held on $500,000 bond, jail records show.
He is scheduled to next appear in court on March 31.
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