Rodriguez Rucker was 32 when he was shot to death outside a residence on Royal Court in Athens, Georgia. Police found him deceased from a gunshot wound on the afternoon of December 14, 2018. Witnesses reported a faded black 1990s-era Chevrolet pickup truck with silver or gray rims leaving the area around the time of the shooting; that vehicle became a key piece of evidence.

Investigators identified 30-year-old Philmon Deshaun Chambers of Decatur as a primary suspect and obtained a warrant charging him with malice murder. The pickup was linked to Chambers. In March 2019 U.S. Marshals arrested Chambers in Killeen, Texas; on the same day Athens authorities arrested 24-year-old Andrea Paige Browner, who was charged with felony murder. Authorities said the killing was tied to gang-related retribution involving the Gangster Disciples and alleged that Browner met Rucker at a hotel, contacted Chambers, who then followed Rucker home and shot him.

Anyone who knew Rodriguez Rucker or witnessed the December 14, 2018 shooting or the truck leaving Royal Court is asked to come forward with information.