New Year’s night shooting stemmed from ‘drug deal gone bad,’ police say

A “drug deal gone bad” is how police are characterizing last week’s fatal shooting at a Dickson hotel. An affidavit of complaint says 23-year-old Justin Keith Treece had arranged to meet Matthew Draper and Cody Jackson of Hartsville on New Year’s night at a Dickson hotel for a “narcotics transaction.” At around 11:12 pm on Tuesday, the meeting took place in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express off Highway 46 near Interstate 40. “During this transaction Justin Treece produced a small-caliber handgun and shot Mr. Matthew Draper in the chest. Mr. Treece also shot Cody Jackson in the left arm,” the affidavit signed by Det. Chad Fussell says. Jackson drove himself and his cousin to Horizon Medical Center where Draper died. Jackson has since been released from Vanderbilt University Medical Center but the bullet remains lodged in his arm, according to the affidavit, which says Jackson identified Treece as the shooter from a photo lineup. Funeral services for 29-year-old Draper were held Saturday in Lafayette. Treece was captured Sunday after a pursuit by multiple law enforcement agencies in a remote area of McNairy County. He is being held in the Dickson County Jail on felony murder and attempted first-degree murder charges with bond set at $1.5 million. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Dickson Municipal Court Thursday. Fussell would not elaborate on the alleged “narcotics transaction” as far as who was selling and buying and what drugs are alleged to have been involved. McNairy County authorities say Treece has several arrests since 2009, including drug charges and violation of probation. Treece’s girlfriend, 20-year-old Jessie Mulder of Selmer, was reportedly with him at the time of the shootings and was called a “person of interest” in the investigation. She is said to be cooperating with the investigation and is not charged at this time. Jackson also has not been charged with any crime.