Man sentenced to prison for shooting, killing rapper on I-85 in Gwinnett County

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Henry County man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of killing a Houston rapper on I-85 in Gwinnett County.

Prosecutors say Corey Detiege, also known as Chucky Trill, was visiting Atlanta in March 2021 for the NBA All-Star Game.

As Detiege and four of his friends were leaving a Gwinnett County nightclub, a suspect, later identified as James Thomas, opened fire on his rented SUV. Detiege was driving the car and was the only person shot.

He later died from his injuries.

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Detiege’s wife told investigators that Thomas held a grudge against her husband over a drug deal in Houston in July 2020. She added that Thomas had been nicknamed “Legz” because he had lost both of his legs in a train accident.

Investigators were able to use cell phone records to show that Thomas followed Detiege and his friends from a home in Jonesboro to two nightclubs and then along I-85 where the shooting happened.

Prosecutors also say they found several threats against Detiege in Thomas’ phone.

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Thomas’ defense attorneys claimed that Thomas was not present and someone else was using his car at the time of the shooting.

The jury rejected that defense and found him guilty of malice murder.

He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus another 105 years to run consecutively with his life sentence.

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