REPORTS

Initial Crime Scene Investigation Report — June 8, 2020

This report documents the June 8, 2020 execution of search warrants at 4088 Teakwood Drive and 6305 Stockton Drive during what investigators still described as a missing-person investigation. Crime Scene personnel documented the Teakwood residence, observed suspected bullet defects and a projectile, collected ballistic-related evidence and suspected narcotics, and reported a positive Bluestar reaction indicating the possible presence of blood inside a camper, which was then seized for further processing.

The report also documents the seizure and processing of a black Mercedes from Stockton Drive, subsequent processing of the camper, and the later collection, packaging, transfer, and TBI submission of evidence received from the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Document Summary

This Chattanooga Police Department report, Case No. 20-052161, documents the initial missing-person investigation involving Randall Leslie. The report records the incident as occurring on May 27, 2020, with the missing-person report made on May 28, 2020 at 11:33 p.m. The offense was classified as 91Z — Missing Person, and the case disposition was listed as “NOT CLEARED.” The report identifies Officer Nicholas Shelor as the reporting officer and establishes the official beginning of the police investigation before the case later developed into a homicide investigation.

CPD Crime Scene Unit Log — 4088 Teakwood Drive

Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Document Type: Supplemental Report — Crime Scene Log
Case / Report No.: 20-052161
Victim: Randall Leslie
Suspect Listed: Donyell Holland
Location: 4088 Teakwood Drive, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Associated Investigator: Detective Corey M. Stokes / Violent Crime Bureau
Date: Associated with the June 8, 2020 search of 4088 Teakwood Drive

What This Document Shows

This is the Chattanooga Police Department’s official crime-scene access log for the investigation involving Randall Leslie. The form was used to document the officers, investigators, medical personnel, and other authorized persons who entered or left the scene, including their arrival and departure times and purpose for being at the scene.

The document is important because it identifies the personnel who had access to the Teakwood property while the scene was being searched and evidence was being documented, collected, or removed. It can therefore be compared directly with the June 8, 2020 search-warrant records, crime-scene photographs and video, evidence inventories, property records, and subsequent chain-of-custody documentation.

Source note: The available copy is poorly scanned and several handwritten entries are difficult to read. Specific individual entry and exit times should be taken from the original image rather than the OCR-generated text.

CPD Kidnapping / Abduction Incident Report — Case No. 20-052168

Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Report No.: 20-052168
Related Missing-Person Case: 20-052161 — Randall Leslie
Primary Reporting Officer: Nicholas Shelor #78349
Approved By: Robert E. Bell
Initial Report Date: May 28, 2020
Continuation / Supplement Date: May 29, 2020
Initial Location: 5012 Renezet Drive, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Primary Offense: Kidnapping / Abduction
Victim / Complainant: Kiara Carson
Document Length: 6 pages

What This Report Shows

This Chattanooga Police Department report documents the investigation of Kiara Carson’s alleged kidnapping on May 28, 2020, while the disappearance of Randall Leslie was simultaneously being investigated.

Officer Nicholas Shelor recorded Carson’s initial account. Carson told police that she had been with Randall Leslie earlier, later went to the residence associated with “Pooney,” found Randall’s vehicle running in the driveway, retrieved her phone, spoke with “Pooney,” and then left. Importantly, her statement as recorded here says she heard people talking but was unsure whether Randall was inside. The report does not describe Carson witnessing Randall being shot or otherwise physically harmed.

The May 29 continuation documents additional evidence that became connected to the investigation. Randall Leslie’s brother reported recovering a Guardian .25-caliber pistol that Carson allegedly said had been given to her by one of the kidnappers. Shelor also obtained consent to search Randall Leslie’s vehicle and reported finding a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm underneath the driver’s seat. The report further records three pairs of gloves inside the vehicle and a towel in the trunk containing a red substance believed by the family to possibly be blood.

The report expressly references the separate missing-person report for Randall Leslie as Complaint No. 20-052161, demonstrating that CPD was maintaining the Leslie missing-person investigation and Carson kidnapping investigation under different complaint numbers at this stage of the investigation.

Why This Document Matters

This report establishes the early investigative timeline and documents the origin and handling of several significant pieces of evidence, including firearms, the vehicle, gloves, and suspected blood evidence. It also preserves Kiara Carson’s contemporaneous account of what she personally observed before later versions of events developed during the homicide investigation.

Document note: Although the file is titled “Leslie, Randall 20-052161 Stokes Incident Report - 20-052168,” the report itself identifies 20-052168 as the report number and Nicholas Shelor, not Corey Stokes, as the reporting officer for the narratives reproduced here.

CPD Drug / DUI / Overdose Incident Report — Case No. 20-057178

Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Report No.: 20-057178
Reporting Officer: J. Cuba #79521
Approved By: Robert E. Bell #62177
Incident Date: June 12, 2020
Initial Call Time: Approximately 12:20 a.m.
Report Time: 1:15 a.m.
Location: Mapco Gas Station, 4600 Highway 58, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Persons Identified: Brittany Lanham and Amanda Conry
Document Length: 7 pages

What This Report Shows

This Chattanooga Police Department report documents an incident at the Mapco gas station on June 12, 2020, involving Brittany Lanham and Amanda Conry. Officer J. Cuba responded to a report of an unconscious person and was told that Lanham had been unconscious in the driver’s seat of a vehicle for approximately five to ten minutes, while Conry attempted CPR and called for help.

According to the report, Lanham told police that the last narcotic she had used was methamphetamine. EMS evaluated her, but she declined transport to the hospital. Police subsequently searched the vehicle with Conry’s permission and reported finding drug paraphernalia, approximately 0.4 grams of methamphetamine, and Xanax tablets. Both women were taken into custody.

The report lists offenses including drug/narcotics violations, drug-equipment violations, DUI, and accidental overdose. The evidence section separately documents seized methamphetamine, Xanax, aluminum foil, a syringe/needle, a scale, a glass pipe, and baggies.

Why This Document Matters

This report establishes that Brittany Lanham and Amanda Conry had direct police contact involving methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia on June 12, 2020, approximately two weeks after the events surrounding Randall Leslie’s disappearance. It provides a contemporaneous police record that can be compared against later witness statements, testimony, credibility evidence, discovery disclosures, and other investigative records in the Leslie/Holland case.

Source note: The source file is titled “Leslie, Randall 20-052161 Stokes Incident Report - 20-057178,” but the incident report itself identifies 20-057178 as the report number and Officer J. Cuba as the reporting officer.

CPD Memo / Field Interview Report — Michael Price Homicide Tip

Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Complaint No.: 20-058978
Document Type: Memo Report / Field Interview
Reporting Officer: M. Johnson #83687
Approved By: Robert E. Bell
Incident Date: June 16, 2020
Report Date: June 17, 2020
Location: 6506 Bonny Oaks Drive, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Person Interviewed: Michael Price
Document Length: 1 page

What This Report Shows

This Chattanooga Police Department memo documents a late-night contact with Michael Price, who told police that he had a homicide tip involving his cousin and a person he identified as “Putney.”

Officer M. Johnson specifically recorded that when Price was asked how he knew who killed his cousin, Price could not provide facts supporting his claim.

The report further states that police believed Price was a mental-health consumer, that his stories “were not making sense,” and that Price reported he had recently been released from Joe Johnson Mental Health Center.

Police nevertheless documented the encounter and generated Complaint No. 20-058978.

Why This Document Matters

This report preserves CPD’s own contemporaneous assessment of Michael Price’s information. The officer did not document corroborating facts supporting Price’s homicide claim and expressly recorded concerns about the coherence and reliability of what Price was reporting.

That makes the memo relevant when evaluating whether statements attributed to Price were later used, repeated, relied upon, or incorporated into the Randall Leslie homicide investigation.

Source note: Although the file is titled “Leslie, Randall 20-052161 Stokes Memo Report - Michael Price,” the actual memo identifies Complaint No. 20-058978 and Officer M. Johnson #83687 as the reporting officer. The document itself does not show that Corey Stokes authored this report.

CPD Shots-Fired Memo — Case No. 20-051755

Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Complaint No.: 20-051755
Document Type: Memo Report / Miscellaneous Information
Reporting Officer: David Gerity #77574
Approved By: Daniel C. Russell
Incident Date: May 27, 2020
Dispatch / Arrival Time: Approximately 6:35 p.m.
Report Time: Approximately 6:39 p.m.
Location: 4048 Arbor Place Lane, near Arbor Place Lane and Teakwood Drive, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Caller: Anonymous
Document Length: 1 page

What This Report Shows

This Chattanooga Police Department memo documents a shots-fired call on May 27, 2020 in the area of Arbor Place Lane and Teakwood Drive.

According to Officer David Gerity, dispatch advised responding officers that an anonymous caller reported hearing a single gunshot followed by a female scream.

Officers responded to the area but reported that they were unable to locate anything connected to the call. The report ends with “Nothing further.”

Why This Document Matters

This is a contemporaneous police record documenting a reported single gunshot and female scream near Teakwood Drive on May 27, 2020. Because that date and area later became central to the Randall Leslie investigation, this memo provides an independent timestamped record of what CPD was told and what responding officers actually found at the time.

Equally important, the report does not identify a shooter, victim, residence, firearm, or witness to a shooting, and responding officers documented that they were unable to locate anything when they arrived.

Source note: Although the file is stored with the Leslie/Stokes materials, the actual document is Complaint No. 20-051755 and was written by Officer David Gerity #77574, not Corey Stokes.

Coffee County Traffic Stop / Arrest Narrative — Derik Brown

Agency: Coffee County law enforcement
Document Type: Officer Narrative
Reporting Officer: Blake Simmons #420
Incident Date: May 28, 2020
Location: Highway 55 and Brandontown Road, Coffee County, Tennessee
Driver: Derik Brown
Document Length: 1 page

What This Report Shows

This officer narrative documents the May 28, 2020 traffic stop and arrest of Derik Brown, one day after the May 27 events later investigated in connection with Randall Leslie.

Officer Blake Simmons states that Brown was stopped after the vehicle was paced traveling approximately 70 mph in a 55-mph zone. Simmons reported that Brown was driving while wearing green work gloves and told the officer that he did not have identification, vehicle registration, or insurance documentation with him.

Brown initially told police that he had purchased the vehicle from a man in Chattanooga who bought and sold cars. After investigators determined that the vehicle was registered to a female and had a lien against it, Brown gave a different explanation, stating that he had rented the vehicle for the weekend from a man so he could put brakes and rotors on it. According to Simmons, Brown could not remember who he obtained the vehicle from and said he had gotten it at a hotel.

While officers attempted to determine ownership of the vehicle, Deputy Brandon Gullett deployed K-9 Emi, which reportedly gave a positive alert. Brown was then asked to exit the vehicle. Simmons states that when officers attempted to detain him after observing what appeared to be drugs, Brown pulled away and ran before being caught with assistance from Manchester Police Officer Michael Wilder.

The narrative states that officers found approximately 14 grams of a crystal substance in Brown’s pocket and located scales inside the vehicle. Brown was transported to the Coffee County Jail, and the vehicle was towed by Hullett’s Service Center.

Why This Document Matters

This narrative creates a contemporaneous law-enforcement record of Derik Brown’s movements, possession of a vehicle, inconsistent explanations concerning how he obtained that vehicle, green work gloves, suspected drugs, scales, attempted flight, and arrest on May 28, 2020.

It is particularly important to the investigation timeline because the stop occurred the day after the events of May 27 and documents Brown being detained by another law-enforcement agency before the later Chattanooga homicide investigation developed.

Important source limitation: This one-page Simmons narrative does not itself identify the vehicle as belonging to Randall Leslie. It states only that investigators determined the vehicle belonged to a female and had a lien. Any claim connecting this particular vehicle directly to Leslie should therefore be supported with the accompanying vehicle records, arrest report, tow record, registration information, or other official documentation.

CPD Kidnapping / Stolen Vehicle Incident Report — Case No. 20-052168

Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Report No.: 20-052168
ORI: TN0330100
Reporting Officer: Nicholas Shelor #78349
Reviewing Officer: Robert Bell #62177
Review Date: May 29, 2020
Incident / Report Date: May 28, 2020
Incident Time: 10:45 p.m.
Location: 5012 Renezet Drive, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Primary Victim / Complainant: Kiara Carson
Offenses: Kidnapping / Abduction (UCR 100) and Motor Vehicle Theft / Passenger Vehicle (UCR 240)
Disposition: NOT CLEARED
Document Length: 6 pages

What This Report Shows

This Chattanooga Police Department incident report formally records Kiara Carson’s kidnapping/abduction case under Report No. 20-052168 on May 28, 2020.

The report identifies Carson as the victim and complainant and lists an unknown male suspect. It records both the alleged kidnapping and the theft of Carson’s 2005 gold Pontiac Grand Am, Tennessee tag CSV445, VIN 1G2NE52E95M143627, valued at approximately $5,000.

The vehicle was entered into NCIC as stolen under NCIC No. V832004535. The property section later records the Pontiac as recovered on June 3, 2020, with Deputy Burnett identified in connection with the recovery and Precision Towing listed as the storage/release location.

The report also identifies Syltresha Brown as an “other” person associated with the investigation and lists 4088 Teakwood Drive in connection with her.

Why This Document Matters

This report establishes that CPD created a separate official case number — 20-052168 — for the Kiara Carson kidnapping and vehicle investigation, distinct from Randall Leslie’s missing-person case, 20-052161.

It also provides an official record for tracking the gold Pontiac Grand Am, including its reported theft, NCIC entry, VIN, license plate, and subsequent recovery on June 3, 2020. Those details can be compared with later police narratives, vehicle evidence, witness statements, property records, and the developing Randall Leslie investigation.

Important Source Note

Although the file is titled “Leslie, Randall 20-052168 Stokes Incident Report,” the report itself identifies Nicholas Shelor #78349 as the reporting officer and Robert Bell #62177 as the reviewing officer. Nothing on the pages shown identifies Corey Stokes as the author of this incident report.

Investigator M. Johnson Initial Report — Teakwood, Stockton & Evidence Processing

Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Document Type: Initial Crime Scene / Evidence Processing Report
Reporting Officer: Investigator M. Johnson #74585
Reviewing Supervisor: Sgt. S. Rankhorn #701
Case Investigator: Investigator Stokes #660
Victim: Randall Leslie
Complaint Number Shown in Report: 20-052168
Offense: Homicide
Incident Location: 4088 Teakwood Drive
Report Date: March 17, 2021
Document Length: 5 pages

What This Report Shows

This five-page report is Investigator M. Johnson’s account of his participation in the searches and evidence processing at 4088 Teakwood Drive and 6305 Stockton Drive, followed by his later handling of evidence received from the Davidson County Medical Examiner and submitted to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Johnson worked with Investigator McElroy during the crime-scene processing and documented portions of the searches by video.

June 8–9, 2020 — 4088 Teakwood Drive

Johnson states that on June 8, 2020, Investigator McElroy notified him that multiple search warrants were being obtained in connection with the Randall Leslie missing-person investigation.

Johnson initially waited at the McDonald’s on Highway 58 while the Teakwood scene was secured.

He reports arriving at 4088 Teakwood Drive at 11:13 p.m. on June 8, 2020.

Johnson describes 4088 as a one-story duplex and specifically states that:

the search warrant covered the west side of the duplex.

He participated in a walkthrough with McElroy and Investigator Noble.

Johnson describes:

• multiple vehicles outside the residence;

• a pull-behind camper near the southwest corner of the duplex;

• multiple televisions and security-camera monitors;

• a metal dancing pole in the living room;

• bedrooms containing electronic equipment and other property;

• and a bedroom door secured with a hasp and padlock.

Camper — Presumptive Blood Reaction

Johnson states that Investigator Stokes requested that investigators use Bluestar inside the camper.

Johnson reports observing a positive reaction indicating the possibility of blood inside the camper.

Stokes then requested that the camper be transported for additional crime-scene processing.

Mosteller’s Wrecker Company subsequently transported the camper to the police Narcotics bay.

Johnson later assisted with additional processing of the camper on June 11, 2020.

Bullet Defects and Projectile

During the Teakwood search, Johnson observed holes in a bedroom door that appeared to be bullet defects.

A bullet projectile was recovered from the sheetrock behind the door.

McElroy photographed, measured and collected evidence from the area, including ballistic-related evidence and suspected narcotics.

This portion of Johnson’s report independently documents the wall projectile and apparent bullet defects that also appear in the master evidence inventory.

June 9, 2020 — 6305 Stockton Drive

After completing the Teakwood processing, Johnson and McElroy proceeded to the location of the second search warrant at:

6305 Stockton Drive.

Johnson reports arriving at approximately 6:00 a.m. on June 9, 2020.

He describes a two-story residence and identifies a:

black Mercedes with Georgia tag RIU5878

parked in the driveway.

Johnson and McElroy conducted walkthroughs and searched the residence.

McElroy photographed the property while Johnson documented it by video.

Johnson states that several items were collected from the residence by McElroy.

Mosteller’s Wrecker Company then transported the Mercedes to the CPD Crime Scene processing bay.

Johnson reports clearing the Stockton scene at approximately 8:30 a.m.

Video Documentation

Johnson states that he transferred his crime-scene video from his media cards onto two DVDs and submitted those DVDs to the CPD Photo Lab.

This is significant because Johnson’s report establishes the existence of police video documenting the Teakwood and Stockton crime scenes in addition to McElroy’s still photographs.

August 2020 — Medical Examiner Evidence

The report later shifts to Johnson’s handling of evidence after Randall Leslie’s body had been examined.

Johnson states that on August 2, 2020, Investigator Stokes requested that he retrieve evidence from the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s Office in Nashville and submit selected items to the TBI.

On August 3, Johnson received the Medical Examiner evidence and submitted:

Items 165 and 166

to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for examination.

Johnson reports that some of the Medical Examiner evidence was wet and was placed into a drying chamber.

He also documented the evidence and observed and collected possible trace evidence, including hair and debris.

Evidence Items 164–176

Johnson states that on August 3, 2020, he submitted:

Items 164 through 168

to the CPD Property & Evidence Division under complaint number 20-052168.

He subsequently packaged and submitted the remaining evidence on August 5, 2020, identified as:

Items 169 through 176.

Johnson then expressly ends his report after Item 176, stating that no additional work was performed or requested.

Connection to the Master Evidence Inventory

This report is particularly important when compared with the two versions of the CPD Evidence Inventory Report.

Johnson’s narrative specifically documents his handling and submission of Items 164–176, and his report ends after the submission of Item 176.

The original evidence inventory also ends at Item 176.

A later spreadsheet titled “Updated 10-2-20” contains an additional Item 177.

Johnson’s report therefore provides an independent narrative record of the evidence sequence through Item 176 and should be displayed alongside both versions of the evidence inventory when examining when and how Item 177 entered the record.

Complaint-Number Discrepancy

The filename identifies this document as:

Leslie, Randall, 20-052161(8), Johnson, Initial report

but every page of Johnson’s report identifies the complaint number as:

20-052168.

That discrepancy should be preserved and noted rather than silently corrected.

Why This Document Matters

Johnson’s report independently documents several major components of the investigation:

• the Teakwood search beginning at 11:13 p.m.;

• the limited west-side duplex search location;

• Bluestar testing of the camper;

• a presumptive blood reaction in the camper;

• apparent bullet defects and recovery of a projectile;

• the Stockton search beginning around 6:00 a.m.;

• the black Mercedes, Georgia tag RIU5878;

• police video of both crime scenes;

• transport of the Mercedes and camper for further processing;

• Medical Examiner evidence transferred to Chattanooga;

• submission of Items 165 and 166 to the TBI;

• and Johnson’s documented evidence chain ending with Item 176.

This report should be read alongside McElroy’s crime-scene reports, Stokes’s investigative report, the master evidence inventory, TBI laboratory reports, vehicle records and the crime-scene photographs/videos.

Donyell Holland Buccal Swab Collection — Item 180

Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Document Type: Initial Investigative / DNA Collection Report
Victim: Randall Leslie
Complaint Number: 20-052168
Offense: Homicide
Location Listed: 4088 Teakwood Drive
Case Investigator: Detective Stokes #660
Reporting Officer: Investigator Greg Mardis #942
Reviewing Supervisor: Sgt. S. Rankhorn #701
Swab Collection Date: March 24, 2021
Report Date: March 27, 2021

What This Report Shows

This one-page report documents the execution of a search warrant authorizing Chattanooga Police to obtain a buccal DNA swab from Donyell Holland.

On March 24, 2021, Detective Stokes requested that Investigator Greg Mardis assist with execution of the warrant.

Mardis responded to the Silverdale Detention Center, where Holland was being held.

According to Mardis:

• he contacted Holland in the receiving and discharge area;

• informed Holland that police had a search warrant;

• provided Holland with a copy of the warrant;

• Holland submitted to collection of the buccal swab;

• and Mardis then returned to the Crime Scene Unit.

Evidence Item 180

Mardis transported the collected DNA swab to the Chattanooga Police Department Property Division.

The swab was added to the existing evidence account as:

Item 180

Mardis then states:

“No further work was done or requested.”

Why This Document Matters

This report establishes the documented collection and initial chain of custody for Donyell Holland’s known DNA reference sample.

That makes Item 180 important for comparing Holland’s known DNA profile against biological evidence tested by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

It should be read alongside:

• the search warrant authorizing Holland’s buccal swab;

• the master Evidence Inventory Report;

• TBI DNA laboratory reports;

• firearm DNA examinations;

• and any reports showing when Item 180 was transferred to or tested by the TBI.

Evidence-Number Sequence

This report is also important when reconstructing the evidence numbering.

The Johnson report previously documented evidence through Item 176 in August 2020.

The updated October 2020 evidence inventory later contains Item 177.

This March 2021 report identifies Holland’s buccal swab as Item 180.

That means Items 178 and 179 should also be identified and accounted for when reconstructing the complete evidence sequence.

Complaint-Number Note

The report uses Complaint Number 20-052168, although other homicide investigative records concerning Randall Leslie use complaint number 20-052161.

The number should be preserved exactly as it appears on this report and compared with the related warrant, evidence-account records and laboratory submissions rather than automatically treated as a clerical correction.

Derik Brown Buccal Swab Collection — Item 179

Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Document Type: Initial Investigative / DNA Collection Report
Victim: Randall Leslie
Complaint Number: 20-052168
Offense: Homicide
Location Listed: 4088 Teakwood Drive
Case Investigator: Investigator Stokes
Reporting Officer: Investigator Tracy McGhee #920
Reviewing Supervisor: Sgt. S. Rankhorn #701
Collection Date: March 24, 2021
Report Date: March 26, 2021

What This Report Shows

This one-page Chattanooga Police Department report documents the collection of a buccal DNA swab from Derik Brown.

On March 24, 2021, Investigator Tracy McGhee responded to the Bradley County Jail in Cleveland, Tennessee.

McGhee states that jail personnel brought Brown to the booking area and that, at approximately 11:20 a.m., McGhee obtained a buccal swab from Brown.

McGhee then returned to the Chattanooga Police Department Crime Scene Unit, where the swab was packaged and labeled.

Evidence Item 179

At approximately 1:40 p.m., McGhee submitted Brown’s buccal swab to the Chattanooga Police Department Property Division as:

Item #179

This report therefore establishes the initial collection and custody record for Derik Brown’s known DNA reference sample.

Connection to Donyell Holland’s DNA Sample

A separate report from Investigator Greg Mardis documents the collection of Donyell Holland’s buccal swab on the same date, March 24, 2021, at the Silverdale Detention Center.

Holland’s swab was entered as:

Item #180

The two reports therefore establish consecutive evidence entries:

Item 179 — Derik Brown buccal swab
Item 180 — Donyell Holland buccal swab

Both samples should be compared with the subsequent TBI DNA reports to determine exactly which questioned evidence was compared against each known reference profile.

Evidence-Number Sequence

This report also helps reconstruct the evidence inventory.

The records now establish:

Item 176 — end of Johnson’s August 2020 evidence submissions
Item 177 — later-added ammunition entry in the updated evidence report
Item 179 — Derik Brown buccal DNA swab
Item 180 — Donyell Holland buccal DNA swab

That leaves Item 178 as the remaining unidentified item in this sequence and makes it worth locating in the complete evidence inventory or related DNA warrant records.

Why This Document Matters

This report is important because it documents a known DNA reference sample from Derik Brown, a person repeatedly identified elsewhere in the investigation and associated with Randall Leslie’s vehicle and other evidence.

It provides a direct chain-of-custody starting point for Brown’s DNA:

Bradley County Jail → buccal swab collected by McGhee → packaged and labeled at CSU → submitted to CPD Property Division as Item 179.

The report should be read alongside:

• the warrant authorizing Brown’s DNA collection;

• the Mardis report for Holland’s Item 180 swab;

• the master Evidence Inventory Report;

• TBI forensic biology reports;

• firearm DNA testing;

• and any later laboratory comparison identifying whether Brown was included, excluded, or not compared to particular evidentiary samples.

Complaint-Number Note

The report uses Complaint Number 20-052168, while other Randall Leslie homicide records use 20-052161.

The number should be preserved exactly as it appears in the source document and compared with the related search warrants, evidence inventory, property records and laboratory submissions.

Original CPD Evidence Inventory Report — Items 1–176

Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Document Type: Master Property / Evidence Inventory
Complaint Number: 20-052168
Case Detective: Investigator Stokes
Victim: Randall Leslie
Primary Address Listed: 4088 Teakwood Drive
Filename: Leslie, Randall 20-052168 Evidence report.xls
Format: Original Microsoft Excel evidence inventory

What This Document Shows

This spreadsheet is the original Chattanooga Police Department master evidence inventory for evidence collected during the Randall Leslie investigation under Complaint Number 20-052168.

It records evidence by sequential item number and identifies the date, time, description, recovery location and officer associated with each entry.

The inventory begins with evidence collected on May 29, 2020, including:

• Item 1: Guardian .25-caliber pistol

• Item 2: Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm pistol

• Item 3: Towel containing a substance

• Item 4: Two casings associated with Item 2 and marked for NIBIN

The inventory then documents extensive evidence recovered during the June 8–9 searches and subsequent crime-scene processing.

Teakwood Drive Evidence

Evidence attributed to 4088 Teakwood Drive includes firearms-related material, ammunition, a suppressor, a projectile recovered from a wall, holsters, suspected narcotics, electronic devices, cameras, digital storage devices and other property.

Among the documented items are:

• suppressor and live 9mm ammunition;

• bullet recovered from the wall adjacent to the northwest bedroom;

• SCCY-related magazine and ammunition;

• additional 9mm and 7.62x39 ammunition;

• ballistic vest;

• disposable and digital cameras;

• game camera with SD card;

• thumb drive;

• computer hard drive;

• numerous cellphones and tablets;

• and a Night Owl DVR security-system box recorded as Item 55.

The inventory therefore provides the item-number foundation for determining exactly what CPD documented as seized from Teakwood.

Stockton Drive Evidence

The spreadsheet separately identifies evidence recovered from 6305 Stockton Drive, including four firearms:

Item 22 — Smith & Wesson SD40 VE .40 caliber
Serial FZJ3685

Item 23 — Canik TP9 SF Elite 9x19
Serial T6472-20-BH-02468

Item 24 — SCCY CPX-1 9mm
Serial 637445

Item 25 — Taurus PT140 G2 .40 caliber
Serial SIY57437

The inventory also records ammunition, suspected narcotics, numerous cellphones, a shirt with suspected blood, cash, and a large kitchen knife containing a red substance among the Stockton evidence.

Why This Document Matters

This spreadsheet functions as the master index for the physical evidence in the investigation.

It allows individual police reports, photographs, TBI laboratory submissions and trial exhibits to be traced back to their original CPD evidence numbers.

It is particularly important for tracking:

• the firearms and ammunition;

• the Teakwood and Stockton searches;

• electronic and surveillance-related evidence;

• the camper;

• the Mercedes and Mitsubishi;

• biological and suspected blood evidence;

• Medical Examiner evidence;

• and later forensic submissions.

Original Version Ends at Item 176

This original version is particularly significant because its evidence sequence concludes with Item 176.

A separate spreadsheet produced in the same discovery is titled:

“Leslie, Randall 20-052168 Evidence report Updated 10-2-20.xls.”

That later version contains an additional Item 177, associated with ammunition recovered on October 1, 2020.

The two spreadsheets should therefore be preserved and displayed side by side as separate source documents. The original establishes what was contained in this version of the inventory; the updated spreadsheet establishes the later version of the record.

The difference should be described factually as a version discrepancy requiring comparison, without assuming from the spreadsheets alone why the later entry was added.

Important Evidence-Record Comparison

The evidence sequence should be reconstructed using the original reports themselves:

Original inventory → Items 1–176
Updated 10-2-20 inventory → adds Item 177
March 24, 2021 → Derik Brown buccal swab logged as Item 179
March 24, 2021 → Donyell Holland buccal swab logged as Item 180

The presently unresolved number in that sequence is:

Item 178

Identifying Item 178 is necessary to complete the documented evidence-account chronology between the October 2020 addition and the March 2021 DNA reference samples.

Source Note

This is the original .xls evidence inventory, not the separately produced “Updated 10-2-20” version. Both native Excel files should be retained unchanged so their contents, metadata and version differences can be independently examined.

Related Incident Report — CPD Case 20-031925, Carousel Road Shooting

Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Report Number: 20-031925
Incident Date: March 31, 2020
Primary Location: 1408 Carousel Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Reporting Officer: Officer Bacha #83677
Offenses: Aggravated Assault, Weapons Law Violation, Vandalism
Document Length: 10 pages
Relationship to Holland Investigation: Referenced by the later NIBIN lead involving CPD Case 20-052168

What This Report Shows

This Chattanooga Police Department incident report documents a March 31, 2020 shooting on Carousel Road, approximately two months before the Randall Leslie investigation.

Police responded to 1408 Carousel Road after an anonymous caller reported seeing a man exit a vehicle and fire multiple shots before leaving the area.

Officer Bacha reported locating:

Eight .40-caliber cartridge cases

in the roadway between 1411 and 1413 Carousel Road.

Multiple residences and vehicles reportedly sustained bullet impacts.

Witness Description

Witnesses reported seeing four Black males in a gray Hyundai Elantra with temporary tags.

According to the report, one male exited the vehicle and began firing toward 1408 Carousel Road.

The shooter was described as having short dreadlocks and wearing a blue hoodie and patterned pajama-style pants.

No suspect is identified by name in the incident report.

Physical Evidence

The principal ballistic evidence documented in this case consisted of:

Eight .40-caliber cartridge cases recovered from the roadway.

The report also documents bullet damage to:

• a residence at 1408 Carousel Road;

• a Ford F-150;

• and a Chevrolet Equinox.

Connection to the Randall Leslie Investigation

This report becomes relevant to the Holland/Leslie investigation because a later ATF NIBIN Lead Notification identified a potential ballistic association between these March 31 cartridge cases and test-fire evidence associated with:

Smith & Wesson SD40VE .40-caliber pistol
Serial Number FZJ3685
CPD Evidence Item / Firearm Exhibit 22

That firearm was later documented among the weapons recovered during the June 2020 Stockton Drive search.

The NIBIN lead identified:

Case 20-031925 — Exhibit 1
as the earlier crime-scene evidence, and

Case 20-052168TF — Exhibit 31
as the later test-fire evidence.

Important Limitation

The Carousel Road incident report itself does not establish that Smith & Wesson FZJ3685 fired these eight cartridge cases.

The later NIBIN document described the association as a presumptive investigative lead requiring microscopic confirmation.

Therefore, the proper evidentiary sequence is:

March 31, 2020 — eight .40-caliber cases recovered on Carousel Road

↓

June 2020 — Smith & Wesson SD40VE FZJ3685 recovered and test-fired

↓

June 11, 2020 — NIBIN identifies a potential association

↓

Microscopic confirmation required

The remaining question is whether a firearms examiner ever performed that confirmation.

Why This Document Matters

This incident report supplies the underlying crime report for the other side of the NIBIN lead.

Without this document, the NIBIN notification only identifies another case number. This report establishes what actually occurred in that earlier case:

• a drive-by or street shooting;

• eight .40-caliber cartridge cases;

• multiple bullet impacts;

• multiple witnesses;

• and no identified shooter in the original incident report.

It should therefore be preserved with the NIBIN records so the claimed ballistic relationship between the two cases can be independently reconstructed.

Privacy Note

The original report contains personal identifying information for victims and witnesses, including addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, driver's-license information and Social Security numbers.

Those identifiers should be redacted before the report is published publicly.

Stokes Missing-Person Investigative Timeline — Randall Leslie

Document Type: Detective Field Notes / Missing-Person Investigative Timeline
Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Complaint Number: 20-052161
Missing Person: Randall Leslie
Related Complaint: 20-052168 — Kiara Carson kidnapping report
Timeline Period: May 28, 2020 through June 5, 2020
Related Investigation: Randall Leslie disappearance / subsequent homicide investigation
Document Length: 3 pages

Summary

This three-page document is an early Chattanooga Police Department missing-person investigative timeline concerning Randall Leslie. It records investigative developments beginning immediately after Leslie was reported missing and continuing through June 5, 2020.

The timeline states that Randall Leslie was reported missing on May 28, 2020 and had last been seen on May 27.

One of the earliest events documented is the recovery of Leslie’s vehicle in Coffee County/Manchester, Tennessee. According to the timeline, Leslie’s mother, Cherie Harden, went to Coffee County on May 28 to retrieve the vehicle. Randall Leslie was not with the vehicle.

The document specifically records that Derik/Derrick Brown had been arrested for drugs while associated with Leslie’s vehicle and that Brown claimed he had purchased the vehicle but had no proof of the purchase.

The timeline also discusses Kiara Carson’s kidnapping complaint, CPD Complaint No. 20-052168. It states that Carson reported being kidnapped on the evening of May 27 and that the kidnappers questioned her about Donyell “Pooney” Holland.

Importantly, the timeline does not state that Carson witnessed Randall Leslie being shot.

Instead, it states that Carson knew Leslie had been at Holland’s residence earlier that day, that she observed Leslie’s vehicle in Holland’s driveway, that she did not see Leslie, that she heard loud talking inside the residence, and that Holland told her to leave.

On June 1, 2020, Stokes documented speaking with Leslie’s mother. Harden had been communicating with three women identified as Porsche McCroskey, Kiara Carson, and Syltresha “April” Brown, whom the timeline says had lived with Leslie.

The timeline also records that evidence associated with Leslie’s vehicle included three pairs of gloves, a white towel with red stains described as possible blood, and a firearm found underneath the seat. The document states that these items were placed into property.

It additionally references another firearm that Carson reportedly said had been given to her by the individuals who kidnapped her.

The June 1 section identifies Holland’s residence as a duplex at 4088 Teakwood, described as being on Arbor Place at Teakwood, with a camper beside it. The document identifies Deborah Pitts as the landlord living next door and states that Pitts was April Brown’s mother.

A locator poster was also prepared for Randall Leslie.

June 2, 2020

The timeline states that Leslie’s mother arranged for Porsche McCroskey to contact investigators.

McCroskey reportedly agreed to meet with investigators but failed to appear and subsequently stopped answering her phone.

Investigators also met with Cherie Harden and Randall Leslie Sr. at Leslie’s apartment. The timeline states that investigators found nothing out of place at the apartment.

June 3, 2020

The June 3 entries are particularly important.

The timeline states that a vehicle Carson had purchased from Leslie and later reported stolen was found abandoned in Marion County and was towed by police.

The document then states that Carson “heard” that Leslie had been shot in the duplex on Teakwood, taken to a house on Bonny Oaks, and then transported to an unknown location in Georgia.

That wording is significant: the timeline records this information as something Carson heard, not something she personally witnessed.

Following that information, Stokes and Sgt. Holoman went to the Teakwood duplex and obtained the address for a possible search warrant.

The timeline also states that Investigator Noble assisted in obtaining a phone record but that it produced “no info.”

It further states that Investigator Gunn had preserved Facebook and telephone records on June 1.

An attempt was also made to contact April Brown.

June 4, 2020

On June 4, Leslie’s mother provided investigators with an address for Porsche McCroskey at 900 Brookrun Drive.

Investigators went to the location, did not find McCroskey there, and left a card.

The timeline then records an important statement from Syltresha “April” Brown.

Brown reportedly refused to come in and provide a statement and told investigators that she did not know anything beyond what Kiara Carson had told her.

The timeline also records that Captain Van Hinton of Hamilton County contacted investigators and provided the same general information concerning Leslie allegedly being shot at the Teakwood duplex and subsequently moved to Georgia.

The document does not identify Van Hinton as an eyewitness. It records him as another person relaying information concerning the alleged shooting and transportation.

June 5, 2020

The final dated entry states that Cherie Harden contacted investigators and reported that Kiara Carson had texted Harden’s son, Richard, about meeting him to provide information concerning Randall Leslie.

What This Document Establishes

This timeline directly documents that:

• Randall Leslie was reported missing on May 28, 2020 and was reportedly last seen on May 27;

• Derik/Derrick Brown was arrested in Coffee County in connection with Leslie’s vehicle;

• Brown reportedly claimed he purchased the vehicle but had no proof of purchase;

• investigators knew about Brown’s arrest and possession of Leslie’s vehicle during the earliest days of the missing-person investigation;

• Kiara Carson had a separate kidnapping complaint, 20-052168;

• Carson reported that her kidnappers questioned her about Donyell Holland;

• Carson saw Leslie’s vehicle at Holland’s residence but the timeline expressly states that she did not see Leslie there;

• Carson heard loud talking and said Holland told her to leave;

• by June 1 investigators were communicating with Leslie’s mother and attempting to locate several women associated with Leslie;

• evidence associated with Leslie’s vehicle included gloves, a white towel with red stains described as possible blood, and a firearm;

• Holland’s Teakwood residence and adjoining camper had been identified by June 1;

• Porsche McCroskey agreed to meet investigators but then failed to appear and stopped answering;

• Leslie’s apartment was checked and investigators recorded nothing out of place;

• Carson’s vehicle was recovered abandoned in Marion County;

• by June 3 Carson was relaying information that Leslie had allegedly been shot at Teakwood and subsequently moved;

• the timeline describes that information as something Carson “heard,” not something she witnessed;

• investigators went to Teakwood for information necessary for a possible warrant after receiving that information;

• an investigative phone-record inquiry reportedly produced “no info”;

• Facebook and telephone records had already been preserved;

• April Brown expressly stated that she knew nothing beyond what Carson had told her;

• Captain Van Hinton separately relayed essentially the same shooting/movement information;

• and investigators were continuing efforts to obtain additional information from Carson as of June 5.

Why This Document Matters

This is a particularly important early investigative document because it preserves the source chain for information that later became part of the homicide investigation.

One of the most significant distinctions is what the document says about Kiara Carson.

The timeline does not say Carson witnessed Randall Leslie being shot.

It says Carson:

• saw Leslie’s vehicle at Holland’s residence;

• did not see Leslie;

• heard loud talking;

• was told to leave;

• and later “heard” that Leslie had been shot at the Teakwood duplex and transported elsewhere.

That distinction should be preserved exactly.

It provides a contemporaneous investigative record distinguishing Carson’s personal observations from information she apparently received from someone else.

The document also shows that April Brown was not an independent source for the shooting allegation. According to Stokes’s own timeline, Brown said she knew nothing other than what Carson had told her.

Captain Van Hinton likewise appears in this timeline as someone providing the same general information rather than being identified as a firsthand witness.

This makes the document valuable for reconstructing the actual information chain:

unknown source → Carson → other individuals/investigators

rather than treating every person who repeated the allegation as an independent witness.

The timing is also important for the search-warrant record.

According to the timeline, it was after Carson relayed on June 3 that she had “heard” Leslie was shot at Teakwood that Stokes and Sgt. Holoman went to the duplex and obtained address information for a possible warrant.

That sequence should be compared directly with the later search-warrant affidavit and any language describing the number of witnesses, what those witnesses supposedly “confirmed,” and whether the affidavit distinguished firsthand knowledge from hearsay.

The document is also significant because it establishes that investigators knew extremely early that Derik Brown had been arrested while connected to Randall Leslie’s vehicle.

That information was not peripheral. It appears near the beginning of Stokes’s own missing-person timeline.

The Brown entry should therefore be compared with:

• subsequent search-warrant affidavits;

• Brown’s June interviews;

• Coffee County property records;

• the transfer of Brown’s three phones;

• the Mitsubishi evidence-processing records;

• and later descriptions of Brown’s role in the investigation.

The physical items associated with Leslie’s vehicle are also important. Stokes’s timeline specifically references three pairs of gloves, a white towel with red stains described as possible blood, and a firearm.

Those items should be matched individually to the Coffee County property documentation and CPD evidence inventory to establish precisely:

• who collected each item;

• where each item was collected;

• when custody transferred;

• what testing was performed;

• and what forensic results were ultimately obtained.

Finally, this document should be treated as an early-source timeline, not simply another later police narrative. It records the investigation while Leslie was still officially a missing person and therefore provides an important baseline against which later reports, affidavits, witness statements, and trial testimony can be compared.

Catalog Category

Investigative Records → Detective Field Notes / Timelines → Missing-Person Investigation → Randall Leslie — May 28–June 5, 2020

Stokes Violent Crimes Synopsis — Randall Leslie

Document Type: Violent Crimes Case Synopsis / Investigative Summary
Agency: Chattanooga Police Department — Violent Crimes
Complaint Number: 20-052161
Case Detective: Investigator Corey Stokes #660
Crime Scene / Forensic Personnel Listed: CSU McElroy and TBI
Incident Date Listed: May 27, 2020
Incident Type: Homicide / Gun / Unknown
Location of Incident Listed: 4088 Teakwood Drive
Victim: Randall Leslie
Case Status: Pending
Document Length: 1 page / 274 words

Summary

This one-page Chattanooga Police Department Violent Crimes Synopsis provides a condensed official summary of the Randall Leslie investigation under Complaint No. 20-052161.

The document identifies the incident date as May 27, 2020, categorizes the matter as “Homicide / Gun / Unknown,” and lists 4088 Teakwood Drive as the location of the incident.

Investigator Corey Stokes #660 is identified as the case detective. The document also lists CSU McElroy and TBI in connection with the investigation and indicates that a Crime Scene Log existed.

The synopsis states that on May 28, 2020, Randall Leslie was reported missing by his mother, Cherie Harden, after Leslie’s vehicle was stopped in Manchester, Tennessee, by Coffee County Deputy Simmons.

The document expressly states that Derik Adam Brown was in possession of Randall Leslie’s vehicle, while Randall himself was not present.

It further states that Brown was arrested on narcotics charges.

The next sentence records the development of the homicide theory:

“Neighborhood information began to come in, stating Randall had been shot in regards to a bad drug deal at 4088 Teakwood Drive.”

This is important wording. The synopsis does not identify the source of that information, does not identify an eyewitness, and does not state that Stokes personally verified the shooting at that point. It attributes the allegation generally to “neighborhood information.”

The synopsis then states that on June 8, 2020 at approximately 1400 hours, Investigator Stokes was assigned Randall Leslie’s case by Sgt. Emery.

The document next jumps to June 21, 2020 at approximately 1500 hours, when Randall Leslie’s body was located in Marion County.

It states that Leslie’s body was transported to the TBI laboratory for an autopsy.

The synopsis concludes with the statement:

“All actionable leads are being followed.”

It identifies Cherie Harden as Randall Leslie’s next of kin and lists the case status as Pending.

What This Document Establishes

This synopsis directly documents that:

• CPD classified the matter in this synopsis as Homicide / Gun / Unknown;

• the incident date was listed as May 27, 2020;

• 4088 Teakwood Drive was listed as the location of the incident;

• Investigator Corey Stokes #660 was identified as the case detective;

• CSU McElroy and TBI were listed in connection with the investigation;

• CPD indicated that a Crime Scene Log existed;

• Randall Leslie was reported missing by his mother on May 28, 2020;

• Leslie’s vehicle had been stopped in Manchester/Coffee County;

• Derik Adam Brown was in possession of Leslie’s vehicle;

• Randall Leslie was not with the vehicle;

• Brown was arrested on narcotics charges;

• Stokes recorded that “neighborhood information” began coming in alleging Leslie had been shot in connection with a bad drug deal at 4088 Teakwood Drive;

• the synopsis does not identify the source or sources of that neighborhood information;

• Stokes states that he was formally assigned the Leslie case on June 8, 2020 at approximately 2:00 PM;

• Randall Leslie’s body was located in Marion County on June 21, 2020 at approximately 3:00 PM;

• the body was transported for autopsy;

• and the case remained Pending when this synopsis was prepared.

Why This Document Matters

This document is important because it provides a compressed official account from Stokes of how a missing-person investigation became treated as a homicide investigation.

One of its most significant features is the treatment of Derik Brown.

Stokes expressly records in the synopsis that Brown was in possession of Randall Leslie’s vehicle on May 28, that Randall was absent, and that Brown was arrested on narcotics charges.

That means Brown’s possession of the missing man’s vehicle was not a later-discovered or obscure fact. It appears directly in Stokes’s own concise case synopsis as one of the foundational events in the investigation.

The document should therefore be compared with later affidavits, warrants, reports, and testimony to determine how prominently—or how completely—Brown’s possession of Leslie’s vehicle was subsequently described.

The second major feature is the language describing the alleged shooting.

Stokes does not write that an eyewitness saw Holland shoot Leslie.

He writes that:

“Neighborhood information began to come in”

stating that Leslie had been shot in connection with a bad drug deal at Teakwood.

That wording is materially different from an identified witness giving a firsthand account.

The synopsis therefore should be compared directly with:

• Stokes’s Missing Person Timeline;

• the June 8 search-warrant affidavit;

• Kiara Carson’s statements;

• April Brown’s statements;

• Captain Van Hinton’s information;

• any neighborhood canvass reports;

• and later descriptions of “multiple witnesses” or witnesses allegedly confirming the shooting.

The Missing Person Timeline is particularly important for that comparison because it separately identifies information Carson personally observed from information she merely “heard.”

The synopsis also gives a specific assignment time: June 8, 2020 at approximately 1400 hours.

That time should be placed against all investigative activity attributed to Stokes before and after that point, including:

• the missing-person investigative notes;

• preservation of telephone and Facebook records;

• visits to Teakwood;

• preparation of search-warrant materials;

• surveillance or crime-scene activity;

• and the eventual execution of search warrants.

This does not necessarily mean Stokes had no involvement before 2:00 PM on June 8; the document says he was assigned the case at that time. But the distinction should be preserved when reconstructing his involvement.

Another notable feature is that this synopsis lists the case as “Homicide / Gun / Unknown” and assigns 4088 Teakwood Drive as the incident location, even though its own chronology says Leslie’s body was not located until June 21 in Marion County.

That does not by itself establish that the classification was improper—the synopsis may have been prepared or updated after the body was found—but the document should be compared with its creation/modification history and earlier missing-person records to determine when CPD formally adopted the Teakwood homicide theory and what evidence supported that classification at the time.

Finally, because the synopsis explicitly states that a Crime Scene Log existed, that log should be preserved and compared with the synopsis, warrant execution records, CSU reports, photographs, and evidence inventory to determine precisely when personnel entered, processed, and departed from 4088 Teakwood Drive.

Catalog Category

Investigative Records → Case Summaries / Synopses → Violent Crimes Synopsis → Randall Leslie / CPD 20-052161