Rodrell Matthews, 34, was killed after a dispute at a known local hangout on Chupp Road in Lithonia, Georgia. On July 9, 2018, Matthews went into a residence with a handgun at his side and was shot and killed by Rondricques Brundage, a man with whom he had prior disagreements. Matthews’ body was wrapped in a tarp, moved to a car trunk, and initially left in nearby woods. The next day the body was returned, tied to concrete cinder blocks, and submerged in the South River off River Road.

The car used to transport the body was later abandoned at a home on Spicy Cedar Lane; a witness reported a foul odor and police found blood and hair in the trunk. A fisherman discovered a partially submerged body several days after Matthews’ family reported him missing on July 13, 2018. Brundage fled the state but was arrested in Tallahassee two weeks later; a woman, Caroline Alicia Davis, was arrested with him. Antavis Ivey was also implicated. Brundage was charged with felony murder, weapons offenses, and concealing a death; Davis and Ivey faced concealing a death and tampering with evidence. At trial, Brundage said he acted in self-defense, but witness testimony contradicted that claim; in May 2022 a DeKalb County jury found him guilty on all counts.

Are there readers who knew Rodrell Matthews or who have information about the events that night?