Law enforcement officers converged on a city public works building this morning and arrested Antonio Espey Jr. for the 2011 murder of Herbert Strickland. Hamilton County District Attorney General Neal Pinkston said the arrest was made by Chattanooga police and officers with the DA’s Cold Case Unit. 

The murder occurred on May 19, 2011 at the Big K market at 909 Dodson Avenue. The Cold Case Unit investigated new developments in the almost 12-year-old unsolved homicide case.

The investigation culminated with the case being presented to a Hamilton County grand jury on March 8, 2022. General Pinkston said the grand jury returned an indictment against Espey for murder and the decision was made to arrest him the following morning. Espey was taken into custody this morning without incident. 

The Cold Case Unit is comprised of individuals from the Hamilton County District Attorney General’s Office, the Chattanooga Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and liaisons with numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

 Anyone with information about this case or any cold case is urged to call the cold case hotline at 423-209-7470. You can also send information via email at [email protected].