A man suspected in the shooting death of a rising Texas rap artist on an Atlanta area interstate was arrested as he was exiting a plane at Atlanta’s airport, a Georgia sheriff’s office said.
James Edward Thomas was taken into custody at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on suspicion of malice murder and aggravated assault in the March slaying of rapper Corey Detiege, the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday (Dec. 22).
He was booked into jail Saturday, according to jail records, which list his age at the time of booking as 34. He was being held without bond. The jail records do not list an attorney for him.
Detiege, who performed under the stage name Chucky Trill, died after the predawn shooting March 5 on Interstate 85, police in suburban Gwinnett County have said previously. Detiege, 33, was from Sugar Land, Texas.
Police at the time did not provide a motive for the slaying.
Chucky Trill released his album Music for the Soul in 2018 and had more music in the works, the Houston Chronicle has reported.
The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office said it apprehended Thomas with help from the U.S. Marshals Service and Atlanta police.
Police video recorded during Justin Timberlake’s 2024 DWI arrest in Sag Harbor, New York, has now been made public.
On Friday March 20, authorities in Sag Harbor released an edited version of the footage to media organizations that had filed public information requests. The 45 year old artist had previously taken legal action in an attempt to prevent the video from being shared, but eventually accepted the edited version being released as part of a legal agreement.
Timberlake was taken into custody in June 2024 after being suspected of driving under the influence. He later admitted guilt to a reduced charge related to impaired driving and received a sentence that included 25 hours of community service. He also participated in a public safety message warning about the risks of drinking and driving, saying, “Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car.”
TMZ was one of the first publications to share the footage, which shows the pop star having difficulty completing several sobriety checks after police stopped his BMW SUV along the roadside.
“Guys, I’m just following my friends back to my house,” he’s heard saying in slowed down speech. “I’m not doing anything. I’m just following my friends back to my house.”
At one point officers ask him to walk in a straight line using nine heel to toe steps. “Sorry, I’m a little nervous,” the singer says as he takes more steps than instructed. In another test, where he is told to raise one foot about six inches and count out loud, Timberlake responds, “Sorry, my heart is racing,” before adding, “These are, like, really hard tests.” Officers later place him in handcuffs before taking him into custody.
Court documents submitted on March 2 show Timberlake’s legal team argued that the footage showed him in what they described as an “acutely vulnerable state” and claimed releasing it would “serve no legitimate public interest.” A judge on Long Island temporarily instructed police to hold off on releasing the recordings while the court reviewed the matter.
In comments provided to Billboard on March 20, the Village of Sag Harbor said, “We are pleased that this matter has now been resolved and the village will be able to comply with its statutory obligation to release the material that is subject to disclosure.”
“From the beginning of this matter, after Mr. Timberlake’s arrest, the village has attempted to comply with the mandates of the Freedom of Information Law,” the statement reads. “As would be true in any case involving records or video footage from our police department, such material is reviewed and redacted to address public and officer safety concerns as well as personal privacy considerations.”