The Truth Shall Set Us Free Donyell Dewayne Holland Case Record

Case Nos. 311081 & 317210 · Tenn. Ct. Crim. App. No. E2024-01809-CCA-R3-CD

Orders

ORDERS

More than 80 of his motions were never ruled on. A stack of motions to suppress, dismiss, discovery, speedy trial, self-representation, bill of particulars and more sits beside a stack stamped NO RULING in front of Judge Amanda B. Dunn.
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Judge Amanda Dunn stamps MOOT on Donyell’s motions: suppress, discovery, bill of particulars, speedy trial, Brady, dismiss, supplement, new trial.
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Before and after. Before: original court records show Count 1 mistrial, indictment 311081, bill of particulars not provided, discovery outstanding, counsel withdrew 01/31/2024, sentencing pro se, evidence missing. After, once Donyell started filing motions: Count 1 merged, indictment 317210, discovery provided, counsel re-appointed nunc pro tunc 04/10/2024, counsel present at sentencing.
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Four panels: Confidential informant shoots Randy and the men involved blame Donyell. Judge Amanda B. Dunn does not rule on Donyell’s motions, stamped moot. They all point to Donyell. The real story gets hidden and the informant is protected.
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Three courts, one pattern

Railroaded at Every Stage

From the first day of the investigation to the appeal pending today, every step went one direction: against Donyell. Each line below names the record it comes from.

A system of mistakes. Investigation built a false narrative: police led witnesses to specific stories, key witnesses pressured, exculpatory evidence ignored, evidence mislabeled; Chris Johnson told CPD people had been in his house and he thinks it was police, and died two weeks before trial. Trial court, multiple critical errors: denied speedy trial, superseding indictment one month before trial, denied continuance, denied self-representation, off-record 38:53 gap, sentencing range errors, conflicted hybrid counsel, judgment and minute mismatch, Brady violations, juror texting during trial, no bill of particulars. Appeals court, continued mistakes: incomplete record, remand not fully enforced, Brady demands mooted, judgment errors overlooked. Donyell still in prison, but he still fights for freedom.
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1

The Investigation

Police picked Donyell, then built the case around him.

  • Derik Brown was caught driving Randall’s car the day after he disappeared.

    Source: Coffee County records

  • Brown was a confidential informant. His guns were moved out of the state case and into a federal case.

    Source: Federal case 1:21-cr-00001

  • TBI DNA testing excluded Donyell from the blood and male DNA on the towel, knife and carpet.

    Source: TBI Lab Case 201012860

  • An ATF NIBIN lead dated June 11, 2020 linked a gun in this case to another shooting. In 2022 the State wrote there were “none in the case file.”

    Source: ATF NIBIN lead 6/11/2020; State letter 9/29/2022

  • Search warrant affidavits were sworn at 3:08 PM, before the Carson interview began at 4:06 PM.

    Source: Stokes affidavits; interview record

  • A 177th evidence item, 97 rounds, appears after the line “END OF REPORT” at Item 176.

    Source: Evidence inventory report

  • No crime scene tape. Officers walked through the scenes on video.

    Source: Body camera video, below

2

The Trial Court

Donyell asked to be heard. The court said moot.

  • He asked to represent himself before trial. The request was not granted.

    Source: Rule dockets 311081 and 317210

  • A superseding indictment, 317210, added five charges 21 days before trial.

    Source: Indictment 317210

  • More than 80 of his pro se motions, including Brady, suppression, speedy trial and dismissal, were denied as moot in one order without ever being heard on the merits.

    Source: Rule docket 317210, June 2025 moot order

  • He told the jury they were lying on him and named Derik Brown. He was removed from the courtroom during closing arguments.

    Source: Trial audio, above

  • Counsel withdrew in January 2024. In November 2024 an order re-appointed him “nunc pro tunc” back to April 10, 2024.

    Source: Nunc pro tunc order, Nov. 21, 2024

  • Case 311081, which carried the first degree murder count, was dismissed on January 15, 2025, months after sentencing.

    Source: Order of dismissal, 311081

3

The Appeal

Fighting alone, with half a record.

  • His appointed appellate lawyer withdrew on July 23, 2025. Donyell has been alone ever since.

    Source: CCA docket E2024-01809-CCA-R3-CD

  • The State moved to dismiss his appeal on September 24, 2025. The court denied it on January 6, 2026.

    Source: CCA docket

  • He asked for a lawyer on November 17, 2025. Denied January 7, 2026.

    Source: CCA docket

  • He asked for more time on November 19, 2025. Denied two days later. The State asked for more time on February 4, 2026. Granted the next day.

    Source: CCA docket

  • The clerk’s record production in July 2026 was partial and mailed to the wrong prison.

    Source: Clerk production, July 14, 2026

  • The appeal was submitted on briefs on August 11, 2026, with no oral argument, while his motion to complete the record was still being fought.

    Source: CCA docket