Christopher PadgettA 22-year-old Chattanooga man was sentenced to life in prison Friday for first-degree felony murder after shooting a Millennium Taxi Services driver in the back of the head in April 2012.
Now, authorities just have to find him.
Attorneys said they have never been involved in a trial in which a defendant skipped town before the verdict. But that’s exactly what happened with Christopher Padgett, who remained at large Friday afternoon after apparently cutting his GPS ankle monitor earlier this week and sneaking out of his mother’s apartment before the third morning of his murder trial.
Authorities hope to have him in custody by Dec. 15, when Padgett will be sentenced on his second conviction of the trial – especially aggravated robbery. Jurors returned their verdicts after roughly two hours of deliberation.
“I’ve never been involved in a trial before where a suspect has left in the middle of a trial,” prosecutor Cameron Williams said after it was over. “But I think the court handled it appropriately.”