VEHICLE EVIDENCE

Stokes Tow Record — Mercedes-Benz — Randall Leslie Investigation

Document Type: Vehicle Tow / Impound Record
Associated Case: Randall Leslie investigation, Case No. 20-052161
Vehicle: Mercedes-Benz
Associated Investigator: Corey Stokes

What This Document Shows

This one-page record concerns the towing or impoundment of the Mercedes-Benz associated with the Randall Leslie investigation.

The Mercedes is also documented elsewhere in the homicide investigative records as a vehicle recovered in connection with 6305 Stockton Drive, the residence identified by investigators as Christopher Johnson’s residence.

Crime-scene Investigator McElroy later documented processing the Mercedes on June 11, 2020. According to McElroy’s report, investigators:

• photographed the vehicle and its condition;

• collected DNA swabs from the interior and exterior door handles;

• collected DNA swabs from the steering wheel and gearshift;

• recovered a latent print from the exterior front-passenger area;

• searched the interior;

• and recovered digital scales from the center console.

McElroy identified evidence items 91 through 101 as originating from the Mercedes.

Why This Document Matters

The tow record helps establish the physical custody and movement of the Mercedes before and during forensic processing.

It should be kept with the Mercedes crime-scene records because the tow/impound paperwork can help establish:

where the vehicle was taken, when police assumed custody, who authorized the tow, and how the vehicle moved into forensic processing.

This becomes particularly useful when reconstructing the chain of custody for evidence collected from the Mercedes and comparing its treatment with the other vehicles examined in the investigation, including the Mitsubishi Lancer.

Source Note

The currently visible copy of the tow form is only partially readable. The legible preview includes form language such as “PERSON OR PLACE IN VEHICLE” and “2ND COPY,” but does not expose enough of the form to reliably identify additional dates, names, vehicle identifiers, towing company information, or custody times. Those details should not be added unless they can be read directly from the original form.

Stokes Tow Sheet — Ford SUV / EPT — Case No. 20-052161

Document Type: Vehicle Tow / Custody Record
Associated Case: Randall Leslie investigation, Case No. 20-052161
Vehicle Make: Ford
Associated Investigator: Corey Stokes
Document Length: 1 page

What This Document Shows

This one-page Chattanooga Police Department vehicle tow sheet documents police custody or towing of a Ford vehicle associated with the Randall Leslie investigation.

The form contains the standard vehicle-custody fields addressing matters such as:

• whether the vehicle was confiscated;

• registration/ownership status;

• vehicle year, make, model and body type;

• reason for towing;

• towing or recovery company;

• and who would be responsible for the vehicle’s safekeeping.

The scanned copy is poorly reproduced and portions of the handwritten and typed information are difficult to read. The vehicle make, however, appears as Ford.

Connection to the Ford SUV Investigation

This tow sheet should be maintained with the other records concerning the Ford SUV examined during the homicide investigation.

A separate McElroy crime-scene report states that on July 29, 2020, Investigator Stokes requested that McElroy meet him at 3610 Calhoun Avenue in Chattanooga to process a Ford SUV.

McElroy photographed that Ford SUV and examined its interior with Bluestar, a presumptive blood-detection reagent.

According to McElroy’s report, the Bluestar examination of the Ford SUV did not indicate the presence of blood.

Why This Document Matters

The tow sheet provides an additional administrative record establishing the Ford vehicle as a specific vehicle handled during the Leslie investigation.

Together with the Stokes steno note and McElroy’s processing report, it helps reconstruct the vehicle’s:

identification → police custody/towing → forensic examination → reported negative Bluestar result.

This record should therefore be preserved with the Vehicle Evidence / Chain of Custody documents rather than grouped with witness statements or general investigative narratives.

Source Note

Because this is a low-quality scanned tow sheet, several handwritten fields — including portions of the vehicle identification, date, towing information and model designation — are not sufficiently legible to state as fact. Those fields should remain unidentified unless confirmed from a clearer original or another official record.

Ford SUV Tow / Custody Sheet — Randall Leslie Investigation

Document Type: Chattanooga Police Department Vehicle Tow / Custody Record
Associated Case: Randall Leslie investigation, Case No. 20-052161
Vehicle Make: Ford
Body Type: SUV
Associated Investigator: Corey Stokes
Document Length: 1 page

What This Document Shows

This one-page Chattanooga Police Department tow sheet documents the police handling, towing, or custody of a Ford SUV associated with the Randall Leslie investigation.

The form identifies the vehicle as a Ford SUV and contains standard CPD fields used to document:

• vehicle ownership and registration status;

• whether the vehicle was confiscated;

• vehicle year, make, model, body type and identifying information;

• reason for towing or police custody;

• towing/recovery company;

• condition of the vehicle;

• who assumed responsibility for safeguarding the vehicle;

• related police reports and property records;

• and authorization for release of the vehicle.

The scanned copy is degraded and portions of the handwritten entries are difficult to read reliably. The visible information nevertheless establishes that this was a Ford SUV specifically documented through CPD’s vehicle-custody process in connection with the investigation.

Connection to the Homicide Investigation

This tow sheet should be read together with the separate Stokes steno note concerning a Ford SUV and Investigator McElroy’s crime-scene processing report.

McElroy’s report states that on July 29, 2020, Investigator Stokes requested that McElroy meet him at 3610 Calhoun Avenue in Chattanooga to examine a Ford SUV.

McElroy photographed the vehicle and processed its interior using Bluestar, a presumptive test for the possible presence of blood.

According to that report, the Ford SUV produced no indication of blood during the Bluestar examination.

Why This Document Matters

The tow sheet provides an additional administrative record establishing that the Ford SUV was not merely mentioned in an investigative narrative — it was a vehicle formally handled within the police evidence/tow system.

When combined with the steno note and McElroy processing report, the records help establish the investigative sequence involving the Ford SUV:

vehicle identified → police custody/tow documentation → forensic examination → negative presumptive blood result.

This makes the tow sheet relevant to the overall vehicle-evidence and chain-of-custody record in the Randall Leslie investigation.

Source Note

Because portions of the tow sheet are poorly reproduced, unclear handwritten entries — including portions of the model, identification number, towing company, precise date, and custody information — should not be represented as confirmed facts unless verified from a clearer copy or another official record.

Mercedes-Benz E430 — Signed Tow / Custody Sheet

Document Type: Vehicle Tow / Custody Record
Associated Case: Randall Leslie investigation, Case No. 20-052161
Vehicle: Mercedes-Benz E430
Associated Investigator: Corey Stokes
Document Length: 1 page
Record Type: Signed copy

What This Document Shows

This one-page document is the signed vehicle tow/custody sheet for the Mercedes-Benz E430 associated with the Randall Leslie investigation.

The signed form is important because it documents the administrative handling of the Mercedes as a specific vehicle taken into police custody or towing control during the investigation.

The Mercedes is independently documented in the crime-scene records as a vehicle recovered in connection with 6305 Stockton Drive. Investigator McElroy subsequently processed the Mercedes as part of the investigation.

Forensic Processing of the Mercedes

McElroy’s related evidence-processing report documents that the Mercedes was photographed and processed for forensic evidence.

The processing included:

• DNA swabs from vehicle surfaces;

• latent-print processing;

• examination of the interior;

• and collection of physical evidence from the vehicle.

The related report identifies the Mercedes as one of the vehicles processed in the Leslie investigation and connects that processing to the evidence collected from the Stockton Drive location.

Why This Document Matters

This signed tow sheet helps establish the custody and movement of the Mercedes before or during forensic examination.

The signed version should be retained because a signature can provide an additional chain-of-custody point showing that an identified person acknowledged or authorized some portion of the vehicle’s tow, transfer, release, or custody process.

It should be reviewed together with:

• the other Mercedes tow sheet;

• the Stockton Drive search records;

• McElroy’s vehicle-processing report;

• the property/evidence inventory for items recovered from the Mercedes;

• and any photographs or Evidence.com records documenting the vehicle.

Together, these records help reconstruct the sequence:

Mercedes at Stockton Drive → tow/custody documentation → police possession → forensic processing → evidence storage.

Source Note

The visible preview of this particular scan does not expose the completed fields or signature clearly enough to identify the signer, exact tow date, towing company, VIN, tag number, or specific authorization language. Those details should not be stated as confirmed facts until a readable copy of the signed form is available.

Mercedes-Benz E430 — Tow / Custody Sheet

Document Type: Vehicle Tow / Custody Record
Associated Case: Randall Leslie investigation, Case No. 20-052161
Vehicle: Mercedes-Benz E430
Associated Investigator: Corey Stokes
Document Length: 1 page
Copy Type: Second copy / unsigned copy

What This Document Shows

This one-page Chattanooga Police Department vehicle tow sheet documents the towing, custody, or administrative handling of the Mercedes-Benz E430 associated with the Randall Leslie investigation.

The form is part of the vehicle-custody paperwork used to document the movement and control of a vehicle taken into police possession during an investigation.

The visible copy is marked as a second copy and appears to be an unsigned or less complete version of the Mercedes tow record.

Connection to the Investigation

The Mercedes-Benz is separately documented in the homicide investigative records as a vehicle associated with 6305 Stockton Drive.

Investigator McElroy later documented forensic processing of the Mercedes. That processing included photographing the vehicle, collecting DNA swabs from multiple surfaces, processing the vehicle for latent prints, searching the interior, and collecting evidence.

The Mercedes therefore became part of the physical-evidence record in the Randall Leslie investigation.

Why This Document Matters

This tow sheet helps establish the chain of custody and movement of the Mercedes before or during forensic processing.

It should be read together with:

• the signed Mercedes E430 tow sheet;

• the Stockton Drive search records;

• McElroy’s vehicle-processing report;

• evidence/property records for items recovered from the Mercedes;

• and photographs or Evidence.com records associated with the vehicle.

Together, those documents help establish the sequence:

vehicle located → police custody/tow → forensic processing → evidence collection → storage.

Source Note

This appears to be a second-copy or unsigned version of the Mercedes E430 tow sheet. Because the visible scan does not clearly expose all handwritten fields, the exact tow date, VIN, tag number, towing company, signer, and custody times should not be stated unless confirmed from the signed copy or another official record.

Vehicle Tow, Custody & Forensic Processing Records

The Randall Leslie investigative file contains a series of separate police records documenting the seizure, towing, custody, release, and forensic examination of several vehicles connected to the investigation. These records should be read together because they establish how particular vehicles entered police custody, who handled them, and what forensic processing was performed.

Mercedes-Benz E430

The file contains multiple records concerning a Mercedes-Benz E430, including tow/custody sheets, a signed tow sheet, a second-copy tow sheet, and a later vehicle-release authorization.

A Chattanooga Police Department Vehicle Release form identifies the Mercedes as:

• Make: Mercedes

• Model: E430

• Georgia license plate: RIU5878

• VIN: WDBJF70J72B485750

• Complaint Number: 20-052161

• Release Date: July 1, 2020

• Authorized recipient: Investigator C. M. Stokes #660

The July 1 release form specifically authorized the vehicle to be released to Investigator Corey Stokes, subject to towing and storage charges. The form also states that a vehicle identified as a police pickup could not be released without the official police release form.

Separate crime-scene records document that the Mercedes had earlier been recovered in connection with 6305 Stockton Drive and processed by Investigator McElroy. The vehicle was photographed, DNA swabs were collected from multiple interior and exterior surfaces, latent-print processing was performed, and digital scales were recovered from the center console.

McElroy identified evidence items 91 through 101 as having been collected from the Mercedes.

Taken together, the tow sheets, signed custody paperwork, forensic-processing report, and July 1 vehicle-release authorization create a documentary chain showing the Mercedes moving through:

police seizure/custody → tow/impound → forensic processing → evidence collection → later release to Investigator Stokes.

Ford SUV

The investigative file also contains multiple records concerning a Ford SUV, including:

• a Stokes steno note concerning the Ford;

• Ford tow/custody sheets;

• and McElroy’s later forensic-processing documentation.

The tow records establish that a Ford SUV was formally handled through the Chattanooga Police Department vehicle-custody system.

McElroy separately reported that on July 29, 2020, Investigator Stokes requested that he meet Stokes at 3610 Calhoun Avenue to examine a Ford SUV.

McElroy photographed the vehicle and processed its interior with Bluestar, a presumptive test used to detect the possible presence of blood.

According to McElroy’s report, the Ford SUV produced no presumptive indication of blood.

The Ford records therefore establish a separate investigative sequence:

vehicle identified → tow/custody documentation → forensic examination at Stokes’s request → no presumptive blood indication reported.

Mitsubishi Lancer

McElroy’s follow-up report documents substantially different findings from the Mitsubishi Lancer.

Investigators used Bluestar inside the Mitsubishi and reported possible blood indications on the:

• back seat;

• seat belts;

• trunk area.

McElroy also documented visible dried red staining beneath the trunk carpet and on the board covering the spare tire. An OBTI presumptive test reportedly indicated the possibility of human blood.

McElroy collected the trunk carpet and spare-tire-cover board as evidence.

The report then states that processing of the Mitsubishi was stopped at the request of Investigator Stokes, with the vehicle locked and secured in the CSU processing bay. Processing was later resumed and completed on June 13, 2020.

Evidence from the Mitsubishi was documented under items 106–118 and later 129–149.

Pontiac Grand Am

McElroy also documented processing a Pontiac Grand Am at Precision Towing in New Hope, Tennessee, on October 1, 2020.

Investigators located a plastic bag containing numerous live rifle rounds in the trunk. The ammunition was collected and entered into evidence as item 177.

The interior was processed with Bluestar, and McElroy reported no indication of blood.

Why These Records Matter

These vehicle records provide more than simple tow paperwork. Together they document how several vehicles were treated as part of the Randall Leslie investigation and allow the custody and forensic treatment of each vehicle to be reconstructed.

The records show materially different forensic results:

Mercedes E430: fully processed and evidence collected.
Ford SUV: Bluestar examination reported no blood indication.
Pontiac Grand Am: Bluestar examination reported no blood indication; rifle ammunition recovered.
Mitsubishi Lancer: multiple presumptive blood indications reported, physical trunk material collected, and processing temporarily stopped at Stokes’s request before later being completed.

The tow sheets, signed forms, vehicle-release paperwork, crime-scene reports, evidence-item numbers, photographs, and Evidence.com records should therefore be preserved together as the vehicle evidence and chain-of-custody record for the Randall Leslie investigation.