Chats, videos and gun evidence seal convictions in Chickamauga killing
Chambers, Darty, McClure and Whatley. Courtesy of Walker County Sheriff's Office
WALKER COUNTY, Ga. - Four defendants have been sentenced to life in prison after a Walker County jury found them guilty in the 2024 shooting death of a Chickamauga man during what prosecutors said was a planned armed robbery.
What we know:
A jury convicted Marcus Allen Chambers, James Logan Darty, Kayla Michelle McClure, and Brayden Niri Whatley on Dec. 9, 2025, following a six-day trial before Judge Chris Arnt. The convictions stem from the Oct. 31, 2024, killing of Dakota Bottomlee at his home on Johnson Road, where deputies with the Walker County Sheriff’s Office found him dead from gunshot wounds.
Investigators determined a struggle took place inside the residence, citing a shattered glass coffee table and shell casings from two different firearms recovered at the scene, along with a casing from a toy gun. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisted in the investigation, which expanded after law enforcement received a tip that McClure had been bragging about her involvement in the shooting. Search warrants on the defendants’ social media accounts uncovered messages and videos detailing the planning of the robbery, efforts to cover it up, and boasting after the killing, authorities said.
A search of Chambers’ home led to the recovery of a firearm that had been concealed by his brother. Testing by the GBI Crime Lab confirmed the weapon matched shell casings found at the scene and projectiles recovered during Bottomlee’s autopsy. While the second firearm was never recovered, investigators said an Airsoft pistol was found at McClure’s residence, where Darty was also staying, and McClure admitted to firing it at the victim’s home. Prosecutors emphasized Georgia’s "party to a crime" law, which holds all participants responsible for actions taken during the commission of a felony.
On Dec. 19, 2025, all four defendants were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The case was prosecuted by the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, which credited the Walker County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI for their months-long investigation.