A Walker County jury has convicted four individuals in connection with the 2024 shooting death of Dakota Bottomlee in Chickamauga.
On December 9, 2025, Marcus Allen Chambers, James Logan Darty, Kayla Michelle McClure, and Brayden Niri Whatley were found guilty of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, and aggravated assault following a six-day trial before Judge Chris Arnt.
The charges stem from the October 31, 2024, shooting at Bottomlee’s residence on Johnson Road, where deputies with the Walker County Sheriff’s Office found him deceased from gunshot wounds. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) assisted in the investigation, which revealed evidence of a struggle, including a shattered coffee table and multiple shell casings from two firearms and a toy gun.
Investigators said the defendants had planned what was intended as an armed robbery. Tipsters reported that McClure had been boasting about her involvement, leading to interviews and further investigation that implicated the other three defendants. Search warrants on their social media accounts reportedly uncovered messages and videos documenting the planning and attempted cover-up of the crime.
Law enforcement recovered a firearm at Chambers’ residence that matched shell casings and projectiles from the crime scene. McClure admitted to using an Airsoft pistol during the incident, which investigators believe was used in the attack. The second firearm used in the crime was never recovered.
The case highlights Georgia’s “Party to a Crime” law, which holds that individuals who intentionally participate in a felony are legally responsible for actions taken by others during its commission.
On December 19, 2025, all four defendants were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney Lynsay Chapman and Senior Assistant District Attorney Kevin Baugh, with support from Victim Advocate Donna Howell, administrative staff Crystal McNabb, and Investigator Daniel Thacker. The Walker County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI were also recognized for their extensive investigative work.
