Robert Thompson, left, and Briston Smith Jr.Police used a fingerprint and text messages to tie an 18-year-old man to the March 2 homicide of 19-year-old Charles Holsey.
Briston Smith Jr., 18, was arrested three days after Holsey was shot once in the back in North Chattanooga in what police believe was a drug deal gone wrong.
On Tuesday, two more people were arrested in connection with the slaying, according to police.
Robert Thompson, 18, is charged with felony murder, especially aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, the same charges that Smith faces. A juvenile also was arrested but will not be identified by the Times Free Press unless a judge decides to charge the juvenile as an adult.
In Thompson's affidavit, police laid out what they believe happened that night.
Holsey's girlfriend was with him that night and told police that Holsey went to North Chattanooga to sell drugs. She said Holsey expected to meet a man called "BJ" whom Holsey knew from his time attending Berry College in Georgia. She said he had sold drugs to this man before.
However, when Holsey arrived at 310 Sylvan St., two men whom Holsey's girlfriend didn't know got into the car. His girlfriend said one of the men -- who investigators later identified as Smith -- tried to steal the drugs and keep the money.
She said Holsey fought with the man. During the fight, Smith told the other man to "shoot him," and then she heard two gunshots, according to the affidavit.
Holsey then drove away, but crashed his vehicle a few minutes later at 700 N. Market St. He was taken to Erlanger hospital, where he died.
Charles Holsey, 19, was shot to death on March 2 at 310 Sylvan Drive. After police used a fingerprint to connect Smith to the crime, investigators said Smith, who goes by the nickname "BJ," later admitted that Thompson drove him and the juvenile to the scene and that they went to meet Holsey with the intention of robbing him.
Thompson is being held in the Hamilton County Jail on a $500,000 bond. Smith is in the Catoosa County Jail in Georgia and will be transferred back to Chattanooga.
Holsey is the fourth person in Chattanooga to be shot and killed so far this year. Police have made arrests in three of those cases; only the homicide of 24-year-old Deoaunte Dean on Jan. 1 remains unsolved.
Holsey studied biochemistry at Berry College for a year, from fall 2013 until fall 2014, a spokeswoman at the college said. He withdrew from the school in December 2014 and was planning to transfer to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in order to pursue a degree in pharmacy.
A family friend said Holsey, who went by the nickname "Chas," was outgoing, a good kid and a dedicated student. He attended East Hamilton High School, where he ran track and played football. The friend asked to remain anonymous out of respect for his family.
Holsey was about a month shy of his 20th birthday when he died.
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas.