Murder Charges Dismissed Against 2 Men In Slaying Outside Brainerd Road Mapco

  • Tuesday, April 16, 2024

First-degree murder charges have been dismissed against two men in a June 12, 2021, incident in which a man was gunned down in Brainerd.

Desmond McKevie, who was 20 at the time, and Garion Lewis, who was 36, were arrested in connection with the slaying of 34-year-old Billy Burson.

District Attorney Coty Wamp said, "The case is still under active investigation by the Chattanooga Police Department. Issues arose in the case and we currently do not have the evidence necessary to convict."

Burson was shot and killed early on a Saturday morning while sitting in a pickup truck outside the Mapco on Brainerd Road.

Chattanooga Police were dispatched to a hold-up alarm at 4711 Brainerd Road at approximately 12:30 a.m. Officers located the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Hamilton County EMS responded and pronounced Burson deceased on the scene.

Investigators with the Violent Crimes Unit responded to conduct an investigation and learned that an unknown suspect(s) began firing at Burson, while he was still in his vehicle, and then fled the area.

McKevie was in the news in 2018 when he was a student at Howard High School and was arrested for having a loaded gun in his locker.

Chattanooga Police said their gun team had gone to the school to track down McKevie, who had warrants for a firearm-related incident over the weekend. He was 18 at the time.

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