Prosecutors on Tuesday dismissed first-degree murder charges against a man accused of killing a New Orleans evacuee in September 2005.
Prosecutor Neal Pinkston said there was not enough proof against Edward Antwan "Meatloaf" Jones.
Attorney Hank Hill, who denounced police handling of the case, said Jones may be freed soon. He is still facing charges in a home invasion, but one of the victims in the case now says Jones was not involved.
Don Airline was found dead in a ditch along Guild Trail after two St. Elmo residents said they heard gunshots between 7 and 7:30 on a Saturday morning.
Attorney Hill and co-counsel David Barrow said Jones had been with the victim at 4 a.m., but by the time of the shooting was in a motel with girlfriend Tarika Reed in Ringgold, Ga.
Attorney Hill said Airline had been trying to buy drugs that night and had gotten a call from a drug dealer about 15 or 20 minutes before he was shot.
The attorney said, "There are a number of other possible suspects, but it is clear that Edward Jones did not kill him."
He said Det. Kenneth Freeman "acted way too quickly. He did a phenomenally bad job."
The attorney praised prosecutor Pinkston for reviewing the case and agreeing to dismiss it. The case had been set to go to trial before Criminal Court Judge Rebecca Stern next Tuesday.
Prosecutor Pinkston said in a motion to dismiss that Jones gave three different statements, and he said there was probable cause to make the arrest.
He said since the arrest, numerous witnesses have recanted and other witnesses now decline to testify.
He said recent evidence back from the state Crime Lab "contains no relevant evidence to the prosecution of the defendant."
The victim was shot five times in the head and face.
Jones, 25, of 5411 St. Elmo Ave., was booked and given a $50,000 bond, which he later made. The bond was revoked after he was later charged with a home invasion at the residence of Corey and Loretta Harris. Attorney Barrow said the proof is also slim against Jones in that case.
Corey Harris was one of those at the scene of a shootout on Tunnel Boulevard last week, noted attorney Hill. He claimed that Det. Freeman "pressured" Harris into initially saying Jones was involved in the home invasion.
Jones had been on $1 million bond on the home invasion and no bond on the murder. Judge Stern told attorneys to try to agree on a lower bond.
Don Airline, who had stayed at the South Chattanooga Recreation Center in St. Elmo, was last seen in the company of a black female and two black males around 4:30 or 5:30 p.m. on Friday. They were leaving the "Steppin' Out" nightclub on Shallowford Road.
Police said one of the men last seen with the victim was Jones. Ms. Reed told police that Jones dropped her off in Alton Park.
Det. Freeman earlier said Jones had given two statements. He said Jones first said the victim started to act crazy and got out of his vehicle. He said he tried to get him to get back in the vehicle, but he finally drove off when he wouldn't. He said he told Mr. Airline he didn't know his way around and someone could kill him.
Det. Freeman said Ms. Reed said Jones returned about 15 minutes after dropping her off and said he had dropped off Don Airline with Jamal Harris somewhere on Tennessee Avenue. The detective said the investigation showed that the victim was not dropped off with Jamal Harris.
Det. Freeman said as he was interviewing Harris that Harris made contact with Michael Branham on his cell phone. He said Branham stated that Jones had taken his .32-caliber weapon to Atlanta. Branham said he would get the gun back when Jones returned. Det. Freeman said the victim was shot by someone using a .32-caliber weapon.
Det. Freeman said Jones agreed to a second interview and admitting lying to investigators in the first one. He said Jones would not confirm any times when he allegedly dropped off the victim, while continuing to deny that he killed him.
Det. Freeman said Ms. Reed stated that when Jones returned to Alton Park she commented that Don Airline was freaking out. She said Jones told her she "did not have to worry about him."