Charlie Dunham

Charlie Dunham, a man known to friends by the nickname “Big Chuck,” was a talented and multi-skilled member of his Memphis, Tennessee, community. At 39 years old, he was a musician, a barber, and a mechanic, applying his hands and creativity to a range of passions. He was a Black man and a father, remembered most dearly by his daughter who has written that she knows he would be proud of her. His life, full of potential and connection, was brought to a violent and sudden end in the fall of 2014.

In the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, September 23, 2014, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office responded to a call of shots fired in a residential area of Southeast Shelby County. Shortly after 6 a.m., deputies arrived on the 4700 block of Bethay Drive, near Belmont Run Cove, to a grim discovery. Charlie Dunham was found lying in the middle of the street with a gunshot wound to his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. In the immediate aftermath of the killing, investigators realized that Dunham’s vehicle, a silver 2006 Hummer H3, was missing from the scene and had been stolen.

The investigation was handled by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, which quickly disseminated information about the stolen Hummer, including its license plate and VIN, asking the public for assistance. The vehicle was located a short time later, and detectives began the work of piecing together the final moments of Dunham’s life. A critical break in the case came when investigators were able to trace Dunham’s stolen cell phone. This digital trail led them directly to a suspect.

Within a week, on October 1, 2014, deputies arrested 29-year-old Arvester Brown and charged him with first-degree murder in connection with Charlie Dunham's death. The arrest brought a troubling fact to light: at the time of the killing, Brown was already facing a charge for a different homicide. He had been out on a $50,000 bond for a 2013 voluntary manslaughter charge when he crossed paths with Dunham.

Arvester Brown was subsequently also charged with especially aggravated robbery. He faced trial for the killing of Charlie Dunham, and the legal process moved forward through the Shelby County courts. The prosecution presented its evidence, making the case that Brown was responsible for Dunham's murder and the theft of his property. In the end, a jury found Arvester Brown guilty of felony murder and especially aggravated robbery.

For his crimes against Charlie Dunham, Arvester Brown received an effective sentence of life in prison. He later appealed his convictions, but the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals reviewed the case and, in a decision dated December 13, 2018, affirmed the judgment of the trial court. The case is considered closed, with the person responsible for Charlie Dunham's death held accountable. In his memory, a GoFundMe campaign was organized by a family member, Kiyomi Dunham, to raise money for a tombstone to mark his final resting place.