Chattanooga Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder Following Courtroom Disturbance

Outbursts and a Safety Risk

A 43-year-old Chattanooga local, Donyell Holland, was declared guilty of first-degree felony murder on Thursday, after being escorted out of a Hamilton County courtroom due to explosive displays of anger. During the closing arguments, Holland interrupted state prosecutor Charlie Minor, declaring that the state concealed evidence and that he had been framed for an offense he did not perpetrate.

Holland’s outbursts grew so intense that he was forcibly removed from the courtroom, Hollands disruptive behavior deemed to pose a safety threat to his own lawyer and others present in the courtroom. With a pronounced crashing noise reverberating as he was conducted behind closed doors, several deputies supervised his removal.

A Tragic Incident

The sequence of events that led to this verdict started on May 27, 2020, when Holland shot and killed Randall Leslie. The body of the latter was found nearly a month later, on June 21, 2020. In addition to his felony murder conviction, Holland was held accountable for second-degree murder, particularly aggravated kidnapping, and wielding a firearm during a hazardous offense. His first-degree murder verdict carries a sentence of life in prison.

Closing Statements and the Verdict

After Holland’s removal, Judge Amanda Dunn directed that he be kept in a holding cell for the finalization of the closing statements. Despite a norm of two to three deputies present in the court, Holland was escorted back for the verdict by eight deputies. Before the jury rendered its guilty verdict, the defendant appeared visibly upset, spawning tears.

State prosecutor Paul Moyle retorted to Holland’s lawyer David MacNeill’s proclamations of Holland’s innocence, suggesting that Holland’s demeanor was more aligned with a man incapable of letting imagined injustices pass rather than an innocent man.

The Final Verdict

MacNeill contested the state’s narrative, alleging its events panned out too complicated and nonlinear to be true. He hinted at inconsistencies in the state’s key witness testimonies, alleging one didn’t align with the evidence, while the other seemed to modify his story under the federal indictment.

However, despite the defense’s attempts, the court found Holland guilty on all charges. The remaining charges are set to be decided in August. According to the court’s records, Holland has perpetrated a series of crimes including aggravated robbery and aggravated assault since 1995, cumulating approximately two decades of incarceration between jail and prison.