Does the Evidence Explain What Happened to Lakesha Thompson?

The Call That Changed Everything [00:00:00]

• Andrea Fluker received a call at 4 a.m. from her mother's fiancé, Nathan Fitton, reporting that Lakeisha Thompson had stormed out of his house after an argument.
• Nathan's story shifted rapidly, from asking Andrea to help find her mother to claiming Lakeisha had returned and was ringing the doorbell, before abruptly hanging up.
• Andrea checked her mother's location, which still showed Lakeisha's phone at Nathan's house, and went back to sleep, assuming the argument was like previous ones.

  "He tells her that Lakeisha stormed out of his house. I guess they'd been drinking. They started arguing. They even called off their engagement. And now he doesn't know where she went."

Devastating News [00:01:39]

• Five hours later, Andrea received a call from the Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office informing her that her mother had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
• Andrea, who was driving to school at the time, was overcome with grief and had to pull over.
• Upon arriving at school, she passed out and later called the medical examiner's office back, but they were uncooperative, stating the cause of death was clear and no autopsy would be performed.

  "Now, mind you, Andrea is driving on the highway when she gets this news. And she told us she just started screaming."

Dismissed Concerns [00:02:35]

• Andrea contacted Detective Andrea Rosas, who echoed the medical examiner's statement, citing Nathan's account of drinking and Lakeisha's mental health struggles as reasons not to investigate further.
• Andrea insisted her mother, who was in treatment and feeling better, would not have committed suicide, especially given her carpal tunnel condition which would make pulling a trigger difficult.
• Detective Rosas allegedly told Andrea that if the family wanted an autopsy, they would have to pay $7,000 themselves, and the call ended.

  "Yes, her mom had her troubles, but she was in treatment. She'd recently completed a mental health retreat out in Arizona."

A Glimmer of Hope? [00:04:00]

• Despite the dismissive response, Andrea continued to follow up with detectives, providing information about Nathan and pushing for answers.
• A few days after her mother's death, investigators decided to conduct an autopsy after all, which seemed like a step in the right direction.
• However, Andrea remained frustrated with the slow pace and poor communication from the department, particularly from Detective Rosas.

  "It seems like Andrea is doing a lot of this legwork."

Nathan's Silence [00:04:32]

• While Andrea was dealing with the aftermath of her mother's death, Nathan Fitton completely ghosted her and her family.
• No one had heard from him since the initial calls, which Andrea found incredibly odd given the circumstances.
• This radio silence left Andrea feeling suspended in an information void for four months until Detective Rosas finally called.

  "He is, like, fully ghosting Andrea."

Autopsy Results and Case Closure [00:05:20]

• On September 27, 2023, Detective Rosas informed Andrea that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) had ruled Lakeisha's death a suicide.
• The GBI cited Lakeisha's high blood alcohol level (0.3) and the presence of drugs, along with blood spatter on her right hand, as evidence she held the gun when she pulled the trigger.
• Based on the GBI's ruling, Clayton County officially closed the case, leaving Andrea shocked and unconvinced.

  "They say that Lakeisha's blood alcohol level was 0.3."

Hiring a Private Investigator [00:06:25]

• After receiving Lakeisha's life insurance policy, the family hired private investigator Walter Reddick to uncover the truth.
• Walter began by requesting all police records related to the case, aiming to understand the basis for the suicide ruling.
• Obtaining the closed case file proved difficult, taking six months and legal pressure.

  "He wants to see everything they have from the night Lakeisha died and every report that came after."

Nathan's 911 Call [00:07:15]

• Reviewing Nathan's 911 call, made about two and a half hours after his call to Andrea, revealed significant inconsistencies.
• Nathan claimed Lakeisha put the gun in his hand and told him to kill her, and repeatedly stated the gun wasn't loaded and he didn't have bullets in the house.
• He also mentioned they had been drinking and he was going to call off the engagement.

  "My girlfriend just shot herself and shit."

Body Cam Footage and Conflicting Statements [00:09:00]

• Bodycam footage showed Lakeisha deceased in the living room with a gun in her right hand and Nathan, naked and crying, stating, "I didn't mean it."
• Nathan's initial statements to officers were jumbled due to his intoxication, but he seemed to indicate the argument was about him wanting to end the relationship.
• He also mentioned Lakeisha getting a gun from the bedroom, pointing it at him, firing a warning shot, and then turning the gun on herself.

  "I just didn't mean it."

Inconsistencies in the Narrative [00:12:00]

• The written report stated Lakeisha "pulled the many times" (likely meaning trigger) and then put the firearm to Nathan's head, who told her to shoot him because he believed the gun was unloaded.
• This report omitted Nathan's mention of a warning shot and the gun going off in the hallway.
• The trajectory of the bullet, found in the door frame at waist height, did not align with Lakeisha shooting herself in the head while standing over Nathan.

  "She pulled the trigger many times. Then she put the firearm to his head."

Gunshot Residue and Missing Evidence [00:14:50]

• Police tested Nathan for gunshot residue (GSR) and the results were positive, but there was no record of Lakeisha being tested.
• CCPD later claimed Lakeisha was tested and had no GSR, but refused to release these results, citing them as part of an active investigation, even though the case was closed.
• Photos of Lakeisha's hand holding the gun, which were reportedly taken, are also missing from the file.

  "Records show that officers did test Nathan for gunshot residue. And the results were positive."

A Son's Arrival and a Disturbing Comment [00:16:40]

• Nathan's son arrived at the scene, and an officer remarked, "I thought that was going to be the same woman who we had gotten called out here about before."
• This comment suggested prior incidents involving Nathan and a woman at his house, which were not documented in Lakeisha's case file.
• Further investigation revealed a 911 call from February 24, 2023, where a woman reported Nathan pointing a gun at her during an argument.

  "I thought that was going to be the same woman who we had gotten called out here about before."

The Previous Incident [00:18:45]

• In the February 2023 incident, the woman reported Nathan aiming a gun at her after an argument, but he did not fire it.
• Responding officers attempted to contact Nathan, but he did not answer the door, and they lacked probable cause for a warrant.
• The gun involved in that incident was black and red, the same color as the gun found in Lakeisha's hand.

  "He just walked outside the house. I'm on the street parked on the street. He walked outside up the driveway and pointed a gun at me."

Nathan's Call and Further Inconsistencies [00:22:00]

• A year after Lakeisha's death, Nathan called Andrea, claiming he was getting his stuff back and that he didn't kill her mom.
• He stated Lakeisha started drinking heavily after a friend threatened to cut ties if she didn't attend her wedding, and that she put the gun to his head.
• Nathan also claimed Lakeisha tripped, causing the gun to go off, a detail not previously mentioned to police.

  "Your mom me and your mom had a good night and everything her friend called her her friend called her and told her because she didn't want to go to the wedding I remember this too friend called her and told her if she didn't come to her wedding she was never going to see her again."

The Friend's Account and Missing Camera Footage [00:25:00]

• Lakeisha's best friend, Tanya Malone, denied threatening to cut ties with Lakeisha over the wedding, stating Lakeisha was planning her trip and only death would keep her from attending.
• Police obtained search warrants for Nathan's doorbell and interior cameras, but no footage was ever released or mentioned in the file.
• When asked about the cameras, a police major initially claimed the case was open and active, then backtracked, stating it was closed but still refusing to disclose camera information.

  "She says Lakeisha didn't tell me anything about not even being able to make it she's like the last I heard from her was that she was like printing out her travel plans."

GBI Changes Ruling, Police Refuse to Reopen [00:28:00]

• The GBI medical examiner, Dr. Keith Lehman, reviewed additional materials provided by the family's attorney and private investigator, including scene photos and investigative context.
• The GBI officially changed Lakeisha's manner of death from suicide to undetermined.
• Despite this change, Clayton County Police and the District Attorney's office refused to reopen the case, deferring to the police department's initial findings.

  "The GBI officially changes Lakeisha's manner of death from suicide to undetermined."

The Fight for Transparency [00:30:00]

• The family and their attorney believe that if the case is as clear-cut as the police claim, all evidence, including GSR results and digital evidence, should be released.
• They question why certain information is being withheld, creating doubt and preventing closure for Andrea.
• The episode concludes with a call for transparency and the release of all evidence, asserting that if the police cannot prove Lakeisha took her own life, it points to a larger problem.

  "If it is so black and white and the answers are all right there in the case files then release everything then show us why are you holding back certain information like GSR results for Lakeisha or any kind of digital evidence"