Murder suspect arrested

Brandon "BG" Holmes, second from left, who was charged with first degree murder early today in last week's shooting death of Gary LeTron Thomison, is escorted to Bedford County Jail by, from left, Detective Charles Merlo, Lt. Jason Williams and Detective Sgt. Brian Crews of the Shelbyville Police Department.
(T-G Photo by David Melson)

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Brandon Jamar "BG" Holmes, 21, of Shelbyville was picked up by Chattanooga police Thursday and was returned here by SPD Detective Sgt, Brian Crews and Detective Charles Merlo, arriving around 1 a.m. today. He has been charged with first degree murder, Crews said.

George "G" Simpson, 24, of Murfreesboro, who police held several days for questioning but did not actually charge with murder, is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, Crews said.

"Holmes saw himself in the news and decided to turn himself in," Crews said. "He did confess to shooting Thomison.

"He is originally from Chattanooga and had only been here three weeks."

Thomison, 23, of Shelbyville was shot to death last Friday night in the parking lot of Oak Hill Village II Apartments, Burt Street, during a heated argument, police said. He allegedly pushed a woman in Holmes' vehicle, according to investigators.

Holmes allegedly fired five shots into Thomison's torso with a .45-caliber gun, police said.

Following the shooting Holmes -- not Simpson, as police had previously said -- fled the scene and left his SUV in the parking lot of a Madison Street tobacco store, Crews said.

"He left the car there and went to a motel where he checked in for less than an hour until someone came from Murfreesboro to pick him up," Crews said.

Simpson was present when the shooting occurred, Crews said, but did not fire a weapon. He is being charged in connection with a gun found in a Murfreesboro apartment where he was arrested early Tuesday, according to Crews.

"The .45-caliber gun found in the apartment was not the murder weapon and is not Simpson's," Crews said.

Detectives said they have more information on the shooting weapon's possible location and were going to search further today.

Holmes had been placed on the TBI's Ten Most Wanted list this week, according to its Web site.