Summary
Overview
Crime Junkie investigates the suspicious death of Lakeisha Thompson, who was found dead from a gunshot wound in her fiancé Nathan Fitton's home in May 2023. Despite numerous inconsistencies at the scene—including questions about which hand held the gun, bullet trajectory issues, and Nathan's conflicting statements—police closed the case as a suicide. The family hired a private investigator who uncovered additional troubling evidence, leading the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to change the manner of death from suicide to undetermined. However, Clayton County Police refuse to reopen the case, leaving Lakeisha's family desperate for answers.
The 4 AM Call and Lakeisha's Death
Andrea Fluker receives a disturbing 4 AM call from her mother Lakeisha's fiancé Nathan Fitton on May 24, 2023, claiming Lakeisha had stormed out after an argument. Hours later, the Medical Examiner calls to inform Andrea that her mother died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Andrea immediately suspects something is wrong—her mother had just completed mental health treatment and was making future plans, including being a bridesmaid in her best friend's wedding.
- Nathan calls Andrea at 4 AM saying Lakeisha stormed out after drinking and arguing, then claims she's ringing the doorbell to get back in
- Five hours later, the Clayton County Medical Examiner calls Andrea to notify her that her mother died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound
- The Medical Examiner's office refuses to do an autopsy initially, saying the cause and manner of death are clear
- Andrea tells detectives about Nathan's toxic behavior, including a recent incident where he threatened suicide on the phone
- Lakeisha had recently completed a mental health retreat in Arizona and was making plans for the future
" It was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Nathan told first responders about how much they'd been drinking, her mom's battles with mental health, like, sorry, there's really nothing to investigate here. "
" She would not do this. And certainly not this way. She's not even sure Lakeisha could pull a trigger either, by the way, because of her carpal tunnel. "
Crime Scene Inconsistencies Noted by Responding Officers
Body cam footage reveals multiple red flags at the scene that responding officers immediately noticed. Lakeisha was left-handed but the gun was found in her right hand. The bullet trajectory doesn't match Nathan's story of her standing over him. Officers conducted gunshot residue testing on Nathan, which came back positive, but strangely there's no documentation of testing Lakeisha despite officers being heard discussing taking photos of her hand holding the gun.
- Officers immediately notice Lakeisha is left-handed but the gun is in her right hand, commenting 'she better not be left-handed, we definitely got some explaining to do'
- The bullet trajectory is waist-height in the doorframe, inconsistent with a head shot from someone standing at 5'6" tall
- Nathan tests positive for gunshot residue, but there's no documentation of Lakeisha being tested in the police file
- Police collected Nathan's phone but he refused to give them his passcode, and there's no search warrant for phone records in the file
- Evidence of a second shot was found in the bedroom—a casing on the pillow and hole in the ceiling—but no bullet was ever recovered
" She better not be left-handed. Oh, we definitely got some explaining to do. And guess what? You're kidding me. She's left-handed. "
" The only way for the bullet to make a straight line from her head to where it is in the door frame, waist height, she would have had to have been like sitting on the coffee table or kneeling on the floor, not standing over Nathan. "
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