Continuance granted in Holmes murder case

A continuance has been granted in a first degree murder case against a Shelbyville man so that more evidence can be given to attorneys in the case.

Brandon Jamar "BG" Holmes, 21, appeared briefly before Circuit Court Judge Robert Crigler on Monday. Holmes' defense attorney Robert Marlow asked for the postponement so that he would have more time for the discovery process.

Holmes is charged with first degree murder in the Oct. 23 slaying of Gary LeTron Cordelle "Tron" Thomison, 23, of Shelbyville.

Detective Sgt. Brian Crews of the Shelbyville Police Department said in late October that Holmes confessed to shooting Thomison on Oct. 23 at Oak Hill Village Apartments, Burt Street, and surrendered in Chattanooga after seeing himself on the news.

During a preliminary hearing in December, Crews testified that the slaying was related to a dispute over drug dealing territory and a strong arm robbery that Thomison allegedly committed against Holmes the day before the shooting.

Right before the shooting, Thomison had allegedly pushed a woman into Holmes' vehicle, and Holmes allegedly fired five shots into Thomison's torso with a .45-caliber gun, fled and left his SUV in a parking lot on Madison Street.

According to Holmes' written statement, "he (Thomison) rushed me, so I fired."

"I was scared for my life, that guy had been messing with me for a while," the confession reads.

After the shooting, Holmes allegedly contacted Sergio White to take him to Murfreesboro and on the way, they stopped at an unknown location to dispose of the murder weapon in a drainage ditch. From Murfreesboro, Holmes then fled to Chattanooga.

Crews said that police have yet to find the murder weapon, since Holmes is unfamiliar with the area. Police are also searching for White, who has been charged with tampering with evidence. Crews believes that White may have returned to where the weapon was dropped and retrieved it.

Holmes had apparently only been in Shelbyville for three weeks before he allegedly shot and killed Thomison.

According to assistant district attorney Richard Cawley, prosecutors hope to move the case through the court system quickly.

Another man was held for several days in connection with the case, but was not charged with the murder.

George "G" Simpson, 24, of Murfreesboro, is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon. Simpson was present when the shooting occurred, Crews said, but did not fire a weapon.

Crews explained that a .45-caliber gun found in a Murfreesboro apartment where Simpson was arrested in late October was not the murder weapon and was not Simpson's.