On March 26, 1988 a walker found the body of a Black man in his mid-20s concealed under leaves in a wooded area near Colorado Springs. The victim had hands and feet bound with shoelaces, a gag of jacket material in his mouth, and severe facial injuries. Examiners determined the man had been killed elsewhere, transported to the site, and died of manual strangulation.

The deceased was identified as John Johnnie Bernard Wilson, who had been living with his mother in Denver. A talented amateur heavyweight boxer who once won a Golden Gloves title in Nevada at 18, Wilson had suffered a bullet wound to the chest that affected his breathing.

Investigators say Lynn Chatman later told detectives she saw her husband Reggie and an accomplice struggle with Wilson in a motel room, then observed them remove his body and place it in a car. Police identified the accomplice as Joey Jerome Brown. Authorities reported a drug deal dispute as the apparent motive. Joey Brown pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and accessory to a crime and received a four-year sentence. Reggie Chatman was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to eight years; both men have since completed their sentences and been released.