A man charged with the 2012 murder of a Chattanooga cab driver has suddenly made a $350,000 bond and been released from jail - on the eve of his trial.
Four bonding companies (Key, Platinum, Rocky Top and J. Price) went together on the bond, allowing Christopher Padgett to walk free on Friday.
His long-delayed trial on a first-degree murder charge is set to start Tuesday in the courtroom of Judge Don Poole.
Prosecutors are nervous about whether Padgett will show up since he faces a possible life prison sentence if convicted as charged.
Padgett, who was 18 at the time of the slaying of cab driver Nathan Deere, was arrested shortly after the incident and had been in jail ever since.
Investigators with the Chattanooga Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit earlier said they used cell phone records and witness statements to arrest Padgett in connection with the shooting.
The shooting was on a late Wednesday afternoon and the victim died the next night, resulting in charges against Padgett being upgraded to first-degree murder.
He is also charged with aggravated assault, aggravated robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon.
The Millennium Cab driver was shot in the head. He had been rushed to Erlanger Hospital, where he had been listed in critical condition until his death.
Chattanooga Police responded at 5:50 p.m. to
1643 Ocoee St. regarding a taxi parked in the street. When officers arrived, they found the victim slumped over the front driver's seat.
It was noted that the driver's cell phone was missing. Investigators were able to obtain his cell phone records in addition to GPS coordinates to the cell phone location. Using the coordinates, the cell phone was found less than a block away at the edge of some woods at 1700 Olive St.
Investigators found that the last call the driver had received was from 362-9913. That number was called and Padgett answered. He said he was at 1722 Hardy St., but when police went there his grandmother said he had not been at that address all day.
Police found that Padgett actually was at his mother's house at 3549 Garner Road.
During a search of that residence, officers found a gray pair of Nike "Air Jordans" as well as Padgett's cell phone. The cell phone was disassembled and the battery was missing. Police had been told that a young black male possibly wearing gray Nike "Air Jordans" was seen exiting the cab from its final location and walking north on Hickory Street.
The suspect was described as a skinny, brown-skinned black male who was about 5'9" tall. Padgett is 5'11" and weighs 160 pounds.
Police said Padgett gave conflicting accounts. He said a friend had used his cell phone to call a cab. He later said he did not know who his friend had called. He said he found a black cell phone lying in the street near N. Hickory and Olive Street and he threw it toward the woods after seeing that it was cracked. Police said that is the same area where the phone was located.