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

Removed During Closing Arguments

REMOVED DURING CLOSING ARGUMENTS

Illustration: a Black man in an orange jumpsuit, held back by two officers, holds up papers marked EVIDENCE while the judge raises his hand and says DENIED.
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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

Body dumping details described in Chattanooga murder trial | Chattanooga Times Free Press A Chattanooga man who is accused in connection with the 2020 shooting death of Randall Leslie faced his second day of trial Wednesday in Hamilton County Criminal Court.