Terrence Lewis
The fatal shooting of a UTC student last Dec. 28 was the aftermath of a drug deal, according to testimony at a recent hearing.
Charges of criminal homicide and especially aggravated robbery were bound to the Grand Jury against 22-year-old Terrence Lewis in the death of Evan "Thad" Derry, of Franklin, Tn.
General Sessions Court Judge Alex McVeigh kept the bond for Lewis at $600,000, though his attorney, former Judge Rebecca Stern, said it was too high "for a circumstantial case."
Baxter McCurry said he had met Derry in April 2017 after moving to Chattanooga from Hawaii. The Whitwell High graduate said they were involved in marijuana sales together with Derry providing the drugs.
McCurry said he met Lewis when he (Lewis) was working as a Uber driver. He said Lewis apparently smelled marijuana on him and Ricky - his co-worker at The Feed restaurant on Main Street. He said Lewis asked about acquiring marijuana and Ricky provided him with a gram.
Afterward, McCurry said he began supplying marijuana to Lewis. He said on one occasion he and Derry supplied a pound and a half of marijuana to Lewis and he "vanished" without paying. The witness said later that Lewis said he had been robbed and lost his money, marijuana and cell phone.
McCurry said Lewis stated that they could recoup the money he owed them by arranging a marijuana deal with his uncle. Lewis said they could include enough in the price for 15 pounds of marijuana to cover the debt. He said they spoke one time with the uncle.
He said Lewis told them to come with the large amount of marijuana to an address near some apartments on Bishop Drive. McCurry said he and Derry loaded 10 pounds into a suitcase and another five pounds into a duffel bag. They were unarmed.
McCurry said when they arrived that Lewis was standing by his blue sedan - the same one he drove for Uber. He said he asked them to back up next to his vehicle and they did.
McCurry said after Lewis got into the back seat of Derry's black Tahoe, he told them he had forgotten something and started to leave. He said Lewis then turned back and began spraying them with pepper spray.
McCurry said he then saw three males wearing hoodies and carrying guns heading for their vehicle. He said he began running down the road. He said he went into a wooded area, then came out by a granite supply business. He said he went on to another wooded section and stayed there about two hours.
He said he eventually made his way to his father's house in Smyrna, Tn. He said he never called police.
McCurry said he saw on the news the next morning that his friend, Evan Derry, had been killed. He said he then got a call from his manager at The Feed telling him the police were looking for him. He then came back to town and gave a statement.
A resident of Bishop Drive said she was cooking supper when she heard three gunshots. She said it was just after her three children had left her apartment.
She said a neighbor hollered for her to "get down." She said she did get on one knee briefly, but she then rushed out to check on her kids. She said as she was going down her steps a black male dressed in all black except for white shoes went right past her. She said he was carrying two guns and was firing both of them.
She said she saw the man with the guns get into a vehicle at the top of the hill. She said another vehicle that she did not recognize went down the hill at high speed and then crashed. She said the vehicle with the gunman went up to the wrecked vehicle, and someone got out and checked inside it.
She said she went up to the SUV, but a police officer was already at the scene and ordered her back.
Investigator Daryl Slaughter said he was able to reach McCurry because he left his cell phone in the Tahoe. He said there were texts and calls on the phone between him and Lewis. He said Lewis left his can of mace in the Tahoe.
He said there was far less marijuana in the vehicle than McCurry said they had taken - about three pounds. He said there was $3,600 in cash.
The investigator said there were 11 small-caliber rim-fire shell casings and eight 9mm shell casings found at the scene, including at the apartment property and the roadway.
He said the victim was shot in the right side of the head.
Lewis was not located until about a week later. He was caught with his girlfriend letting her out for a new job. Lewis was on probation on an assault charge against the girlfriend and was not suppose to have contact with her, the judge was told.
Investigator Slaughter said Lewis stated that he had been unable to get out of the Tahoe because the child safety lock was on. He said he went down the hill and was still inside when it crashed. He said he climbed out the back window of the heavily-damaged vehicle.
The witness said Lewis would never tell him where he could find his vehicle.
He said the officer was on the scene of the shooting so quickly because a few minutes before it happened police got a call of a suspicious person behind a dumpster.
Evan Derry