DJ Fickey was he killed or was it suicide? If any of you follow @justicefordj88 on twitter or if you have followed the Justice For DJ Facebook page, then I am pretty sure you have already made your opinions on what happened. People say it’s the emotion that clouds this judgement and the family just cant let go. It drives me nuts and makes my blood boil when people say that to the victims family.

So to that point Let’s break it down from just a purely evidentiary stand point. Take out emotions and any opinions you have formed on DJ and his life to this point and wipe the slate clean. I am asking you to look at this from almost a pure clinical stand point so we can see through the lens clearly and then you can decide what you think happened.

Most of you know DJ’s story. You have heard from Amanda Shirley, DJ’s sister and DJ’s advocate for his case. The family not only tells his story and what happened that night and the effects it has had on their family, but they also speak to the fears they have for others that may meet the same fate as DJ. DJ didn’t just loose his life that day, he lost his voice. We must examine the circumstances of his death and the ultimate ruling of the cause of death in an effort to give DJ his voice back.

To be able to see how this case may have been skewed on the bias of the arriving officers and the history of the victim and their family members. we must take the evidence and lay it out as if they are each a pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I am asking you to truly attempt to take the facts and look at them solely from a research point. My ultimate goal is to get everyone’s true opinion based solely on the facts. Then I’d really like to hear your hypothesis of the events based of the information bellow.

To take out emotion from here on out I am going to refer to the people involved as subject D, Subject B, and Subject M. We are going to cut out everything from before Subject M called 911. We need to start from the solid facts so we can breakdown the time line and the events that are documented in that time line.

We have three subjects in all that are the key players in solving the puzzle. Subject D, Subject M and Subject B. Subject D’s death is what is under question. So I will be giving you the information starting from the 911 call. Taking the 911 calls, the arriving officers reports, witness interviews and the information on the crime scene,I want to know your conclusion on how Subject D died.

So here’s the pieces of your puzzle, tell me what the picture is.

We are going to start with the 911 transcripts. There are three separate calls due to Subject M disconnecting the calls on the other end and dispatch having to call back to get information on what was happening.

911 Call #1

Operator: Walker county 911
Subject M: I need an ambulance here at (address omitted)
Operator: Ok what’s the problem?
Subject M: Eh, we got a guy that shot himself.
Operator::Ok what did he shoot himself with?
Subject M: A shot gun.
Operator: Ok is he breathing?
Subject M: Uh it looks like it…I don’t know.( Inaudible)
Operator: How old is he?
Subject M: I tried to get the gun,I tried to get the gun and it went off and he had it in his mouth and I was like man you know..(heavy breathing and silence)
Operator:What? What? Is it a 12 gauge?
Subject M: Eh..Yeah
Operator: Is he still able to talk?
Subject M: Huh?
Operator: Is he still able to talk?
Subject M: NO I mean he stuck it in his mouth?
Operator: Alright Is he still breathing?
Subject M:Yeah It looks like it
(Silence for about 10 seconds)
Operator: Alright hold on one second I am going to get everyone going?
OP:How old is he
(Inaudible screaming and yelling from Subject B)
Operator: How old is he?
(More inaudible screaming and crying from Subject B)
Subject M: inaudible shouting at Subject B
Operator: IS it? How old is he?
Operator: Station 2 respond
Call is ended by subject M
This first call was a total of 2:09. The call was disconnected as the operator reached out to the ambulance and police assistance. No action was made by the 911 operator until 2:09 second into the call.

911 call 2
The operator calls back as line was disconnected on Subject M’s side. The phone rings for 21 seconds before Subject M picks up the call.

Subject M: Hello
Operator: How old is he?
Subject M: Eh…
Operator: How old is he?
Subject M: Eh.. I think he was 27
Operator: 27?
Subject M: Yeah
Operator: Ok is he still breathing?
Operator: Where’s the damage done to his head?
Subject M: It’s right in his mouth
SubjectB wailing loudly and distraughtly
Operator: Inside his mouth?
Subject B: inaudible
Operator: Is there an exit wound
Subject M: muffled inaudible conversation with Subject B
Operator: is there and exit wound?
Operator: is there an exit wound?
Subject B: (in background answering same time as Subject M: Yes, it went through his mouth
Subject M: Yes it went through his mouth
Subject B inaudible conversation with Subject M
Operator: Is he? Is he breathing?
Subject M: he breathing (inaudible)
Operator: 27 year old male eh, Had the gun in his mouth, there was a discharge, there is an exit wound, Possibly still breathing. Were still (inaudible word)hearing further
Operator:Is he breathing?
Operator: What’s your name?
Subject M: gives his name but for this part we have edited that out as we want to look solely at the evidence
Operator:repeats his name, is he inside the house?
Op: is he inside the house?
Subject M: no man
Operator:Where’s he at?
Subject M: I don’t know
Inaudible conversations between Subjects M and B
Operator: Is he inside the house, a car , room? Where’s he at? .
Subject M: In a chair in the front door.
Operator: he’s in a chair in front door?
Subject M: Yes
Operator: Alright is he sitting in a chair?
Subject B crying and shouting Subject D’d name in the background
Operator: His name is (Subject D)?
Subject M: Yeah it’s a 12 gauge?
Operator: Ok I know it’s a 12 gauge. Is he breathing though? Is he moving at all?
Subject B: Says Oh my god Subject M
Subject M: I tired to grab the gun from him and he pulled back
Operator:is he moving at all
Subject M to Subject B: Would you please
Operator: Ok I have the ambulance sheriffs department and the fire department coming. I need to know if…
Again Subject M disconnects phone call
This call was a total of 3:04 minutes. There was lots of inaudible conversation between Subject M and Subject B.

911 Call Three
On This call I want to note that there is a new operator that calls back after Subject M disconnects the second time. This is the previous operators supervisor
Operator: Subject Ms name is said twice by operator
Operator: Subject M can you hear me
Operator: Can you hear me
Subject M: yes ma’am
Subject: this is walker county 911 ok.
Subject M to Subject B: its 911
Operator:Subject M listen to me ok,
Subject M: Inaudible but words wife is here and as soon as I can get are clear but cannot determine sentence.
Operator: Subject M I need to talk to you can you give me your atttention?
Subject M:yes ma’am
Operator: Ok the gun, where is it located now?
SubjectM: its in the chair with him?
Operator: Ok
Subject M: I got the gun up and checked to see what it was it was a 12 gauge.
Operator: Ok so you moved the gun? Is that correct?
Subject M: Yes
Operator:Ok can you secure that gun? Can you uh get it unloaded safely? And… and lay it to the side out of the way?
Subject M: Yes ma’am
Operator: Can you do that while I am talking to you?
Subject M: Yes Ma’am
Operator:ok ill give you just a min ok
Subject M: Mumbles then says to Subject B hey somebody get the gun and shoot it.
Operator: No, no, don’t shoot it, secure it.
Subject M: Don’t shoot it
Operator: Listen Subject M, Subject M are you going to be the one doing it?
Subject M: inaudiable
Operator: Ok so there’s nothing in the gun at this point correct? The Gun is empty Correct? Subject M, Subject M?
Subject B is louder and wailing very loudly and call is connected again by subject M

Call three was at total of 1:54. This call was made by the supervisor as the call was repeated dropped by subject M. Besides the glaring mistakes made by the 911 operator and the supervisors I want you to read the facts without the emotions. These calls were the first part of your puzzle.

If you would like to hear these 911 calls yourself after reading the transcript I provided please head to you favorite Podcast platform and check out these great podcasts and you tubers that have featured DJ’s Fickeys story and they do a great job covering the case.

Crime Pursuit Podcast
Nancy Grace Podcast
Kendall Rae YouTube

#MystCon YouTube

There are so many more that have covered this story and did a great job as well, these are just ones I personally listened too.

The Second piece of the Puzzle I’d like you to take into account is the crime scene and the statements from the three Subjects that were in the trailer at the time Subject M was killed.
Subject B
Subject M
Subject R

Subject R was in the trailer at the time that Subject D died. Subject R states that he followed Subject B out of the Bathroom and was behind Subject B as they both saw Subject M’s finger on the trigger of the shotgun. Subject R states he does not know if Subject M meant to shoot Subject D, But clearly states that it was Subject M who indeed shot Subject D.

The Gun that was used in subject D’s death belonged to subJect M. Subject D was killed in a home that did not belong to either Subject. The home owner was not present at the time of the incident. Subject D was living in the main house at the time of his death and Subject M was living in a camper in the front Yard of this home.

Subject M and Subject D have had a few pervious altercations. Subject M once started attacking Subject D with a golf club and and Subject D picked up a bat in self defense and they did get very physical with one another. Another time Subject M threatened subject D with a knife and another heated and physical fight ensued. These fights always revolved around subject B.

Subject D was texting his mother minutes before he died saying he was scared for his life and he didn’t think he was going to live if he stayed there. With in a few minuets of Subject D’s mother receiving that text, Subject D would be dead.

Subject M called 911 and subject B was in the room at the time of the call. You can hear subject B crying in the background and mumbling and sobbing incoherently. At the time of the arrival of the officers to the scene subject B was to distraught to make a statement.

Arriving officers to the scene met Subject M outside of the home in the driveway with a spent shotgun shell in his hands. The Officers asked Subject M where the gun was, to which Subject M replied that it was on the shelf. The officer then goes inside and removes the shot gun from the shelf and places it on the table on the porch. On the table sits a bottle of bleach. The Coroner arrived on seen with the first responding Arriving officers.

Subject D’s body was sent to the GBI for a limited autopsy under the death investigation act which requires an autopsy to be done when the manner of death meets a certain criteria. That is how the cause of death in this case was determined. I want to note here that no gunpowder residue tests were done on Subject D’s hands to prove the theory that he himself pulled the trigger. The GBI medical examiner made a false ruling on the cause of death due to the report sent from the coroner in which he stated that the gun was removed from the victims hands. However Subject M says he moved it on the 911 call and to arriving officers, as well as we have a 911 lead dispatcher that walked Subject M through moving the gun again and unloading it and was directed to place it away from Subject D’s body.

After talking to Subject M further two Detectives stated they didn’t believed this was a suicide. The story’s Subject M kept telling and changing didn’t match up. The crime scene had clearly been disturbed and altered before they arrived as there was a bloody towel on top of the trash bin from an attempt to clean up blood.

Subject D was killed by a shot gun blast to the left side of his head. The bullet came through his left cheek at a downward angle. It’s important to note here that Subject D was right handed. At the time of arrival Subject B was distraught and unable to give a statement, however Subject B did come forward and told investigators that Subject M killed Subject D that day after an altercation between the two. Subject B states very clearly that Subject M killed Subject D and was trying to claim it was a suicide.

Subject M denies any involvement in Subject D’s death. Subject M was brought in for questioning in which his story changed over 3 times. One of the detectives sits in an interview room with Subject M and asks him to show him how exactly Subject D shot himself with the gun. Subject M demonstrates with the detectives over and over and each time Subject M’s story changes. At this point the detectives decide they need to give subject M a polygraph. Subject M results show deception on two specific questions. ‘Did you point the gun at Subject D?” And “ Did you shoot Subject D?”

Subject R is not really mentioned in many reports or interviews. We know Subject R states that he and Subject B exited the bathroom and that Subject D was sitting in the chair in the front room and Subject M had the shot gun in his hand and it was Subject M that pulled the trigger. Subject B and Subject R both had the same statement when taking separately.

Taking in the pieces I have laid before you. I would like you the reader to tell me how you think Subject D died. Was it suicide as Subject M states. Or was it a murder that’s been poorly covered up? You decide and let me know below. What picture does our puzzle make?

Erin Reed
Sipping On Some Crime Reports

Sources for Article
Amanda Shirley (Subject D DJ Fickey’s Sister)
Kendall Rae on YouTube
Crime Pursuit Podcast
Justice With Nancy Grace Podcast