A detective testified Wednesday that he was able to track the path four gang members took to a Southside murder by picking out landmarks in the background of their Facebook Live.
Zach Crawford said on the broadcast taped by a fellow officer he noticed a familiar church on Rossville Boulevard, then the C&C Auction building before the silver Nissan Rogue turned onto 38th Street headed toward rival Bloods territory.
Detective Crawford said the vehicle was caught on camera at the Bethlehem Center before it arrived at Nine Brothers convenience store at Central Avenue and shots began to ring out.
Tremaine Dillard and Tyqurerio Jazzkem Malone are currently being tried for first-degree murder in the courtroom of Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn.
The case of Montrell Franklin is on the docket for Nov. 6, and that of Eric Sims for next April 7.
The investigator said Dillard was driving and Franklin was in the front passenger seat. He said Malone and Sims were in the back. He said he could identify all four in the video, having had "encounters" with them previously.
The state says a barrage of shots were fired toward the front of Nine Brothers from the Rogue with one rifle bullet entering the abdomen of 31-year-old Robert Dowdy. It severed an artery and he died in about an hour.
Brandon Rakestraw was also seriously injured.
One shot hit the storefront, another landed toward the back of a car on the lot, and another shattered the windshield of an employee's vehicle.
A large number of 9mm handgun spent shell casings and Remington 223 rifle shell casings were found up and down 38th Street and near the store lot.
Detective Crawford said one of the gang members in the back seat was displaying an AR-15 in the video.
Police quickly learned that the Rogue belonged to Tierra Gibbens. Ms. Gibbens testified that she had loaned it out to Franklin, who she referred to as "my brother."
Ms. Gibbens said she texted him about returning it. When he did, she started for her sister's house when suddenly her vehicle was surrounded by police.
Still in the vehicle were multiple spent cartridge casings from the handgun and the rifle, matching what was found at the scene.