Prosecutors on Thursday dropped murder charges against 19-year-old Chester A. Phelps, saying there was insufficient evidence.
Phelps appeared before General Sessions Court Judge David Bales.
Investigators with the Chattanooga Police Department Violent Crimes Unit earlier charged Phelps with the homicide of Charles J. King.
The incident occurred on June 25, 2014.
Phelps was charged with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
In the incident, Chattanooga Police responded at 10:06 p.m. to shots fired in the area of 1400 Bennett Ave. Police were told to check out someone who was unconscious in a vehicle. Upon arrival, officers located a black male inside a dark-colored Land Rover suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the head.
The victim was pronounced deceased on the scene.
Police at the time said they had no suspect information.
Police later found that Phelps had been with the victim hours before the shooting.
Police said when Phelps was interviewed he gave false information about his whereabouts.
Later, police said they learned that Phelps had confessed to the murder "to a person known by police."
He said he shot King in the head and he "provided details about the incident only the person that perpetrated the murder could know."
Police said, "Evidence found on the scene corroborated the explanation and sequence of events as told by Phelps."
Police were told that Phelps said he bleached his hands and burned his clothes after the shooting.
A $20,000 bond was set by Magistrate Sharetta Smith.