Naman Shrestha
When 18-year-old Josh Missiledine was found murdered in a vacant trailer, the detectives moved heaven and earth to get to the bottom of the case. As the investigation progressed, the authorities learned that the killing was motivated by a drug-related issue. The entire case and the investigation that ensued are covered in a detailed manner in the episode titled ‘Nothing to Cheer About’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Murder Under the Friday Night Lights.’ It also features insightful interviews with Josh’s family and loved ones, who were devastated by his unexpected and untimely demise.
Josh Missiledine’s Remains Were Found Inside a Trailer
On May 26, 1983, Brenda and Jeffrey Wayne Missildine welcomed a little bundle of joy into the world in the form of Kevin Joshua “Josh” Missiledine. Born and brought up in Gulfport, Mississippi, he shared the love of his parents with his three brothers — Kyle, Chris, and Ben Palmer. A lifelong resident of the Gulf Coast, Josh attended Harrison Central High School, where he was an integral part of the male cheerleading squad. Apart from that, the honor roll student was also associated with the school’s Science Adventure Club. Coming from a religious family, he was also a member of Michael Memorial Baptist Church.
After his parents got divorced and his mother remarried, he managed to form a close bond with his stepfather, Rick Palmer, as well. The senior high school student had a bright future ahead of him as he looked forward to achieving all his dreams. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. In late November 2001, the 18-year-old cheerleader went outside and failed to return home, leading to his parents getting concerned about him. Eventually, on November 30, he was reported missing by his parents, after which an extensive search was launched. That same day, the authorities found Josh’s car abandoned in the downtown area of Gulfport, but no sign of him. What stuck out like a sore thumb was the fact that the car stereo was missing.
The following afternoon, the investigators received a tip from a caller who led them inside a trailer in the 17000 block of Fountain Street, off Highway 53. Upon reaching the site, they discovered the remains of Josh and started inspecting the crime scene for any evidence. The autopsy revealed that he died of severe head injuries caused by an unknown wooden object. Although no physical evidence was found in and around the scene of the crime, the detectives were determined to get to the bottom of the case and apprehend the killers.
Josh Missiledine Was Reportedly Killed Over Drug-Related Matters
As an investigation was carried out, the detectives were led to two persons of interest — Germaine Strickland and Christopher Shields. When the investigators questioned them, they had a different version of the story about what happened to Josh and the car stereo. Although both claimed that they had met at the abandoned trailer on November 30, 2001, each suspect accused the other of murdering Josh Missiledine. According to Christopher Shields, he and Germaine planned to meet Josh at the trailer to drink and smoke weed.
However, he claimed that things got out of hand as Germaine and Josh got into a heated argument over drug money in the early hours of December 1 while he tried to pacify the two. The altercation led to Josh suffering severe injuries, according to Christopher. However, he claimed that at the time, he couldn’t tell that his condition was critical and could lead to his demise. On the other hand, Germaine Strickland told the detectives that he had met Josh for the first time at the Harrison County Courthouse in the early hours of December 1 with Christopher.
According to him, the trio drove to the trailer off Highway 53, where he allegedly witnessed Christopher hit Josh with an object, possibly a wooden stick. After hearing the two versions of the story, the authorities concluded that both the suspects met with Josh to get drugs from him and steal his car stereo to get money for buying crack cocaine. In the first week of December 2001, the police arrested 30-year-old Christopher Shields and charged him with the murder of Kevin Joshua Missiledine. About a week later, 30-year-old Germaine Strickland was charged with capital murder and taken into custody on a $5 million bond.
Christopher Shields and Germaine Strickland Requested the Judge to Reduce Their Bonds
In the months that followed after the arrest of Christopher Shields and Germaine Strickland, their defense attorneys tried to get their bonds lowered. However, in the preliminary hearing, those requests were denied by the judge. However, Germain’s attorney was determined to get his bond reduced, so he appealed to the circuit court, claiming that there was no physical evidence linking either of the accused to the murder of Josh Missiledine. Thus, in the first week of March 2002, Germaine’s bond was reduced to $10,000, and he managed to walk out of jail. Josh’s mother, Brenda Palmer, expressed her disappointment and told WLOX, “I wasn’t notified until Monday night. There is still a lot of evidence that hasn’t been returned from the crime lab. It’s sad that someone can get out on ten thousand dollars for capital murder.”
Roughly a couple of years later, in January 2004, Christopher pleaded guilty to manslaughter and testified that he did not intend to hurt Josh on the fateful night. He told the judge, “I knew he (Josh) was hurt. When I left the trailer, I didn’t know how bad. I remember him sayin’ something. I know I didn’t do anything. Maybe he could’ve been saved. It wasn’t intentional.” Some of the 18-year-old cheerleader’s family members also took a stand before the sentencing. His stepfather, Rick Palmer, addressed the convict, “You even had a chance to possibly turn this around after you left that trailer. He was still alive. You could’ve stopped and called 911, but you simply chose to let him die.”
Christopher is Nearing His Release Date, While Germaine is Likely a Free Man Today
Ultimately, Christopher was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement in Josh’s murder. Following the sentencing, Josh’s mother, Brenda Palmer, stated, “I’m just glad it’s over with. I think part of justice has been done. It won’t bring my son back, but we put somebody else behind bars that won’t hurt anybody else.” Apart from the manslaughter sentence, Christopher also served an additional five years for a 2001 burglary and a couple of years for two 1992 robberies. A couple of months later, in March 2004, Germaine apologized to Josh’s family, who were far from forgiving towards the killer. Brenda addressed him directly, saying, “I think you knew exactly what was going on and you knew what happened afterwards. And you don’t know how bad this destroyed my life.”
Josh’s father, Jeff Missiledine, also stated, “Both men were involved and that white boy that they went to meet that night, they knew what they were going to do with him.” Since Germaine cooperated with the prosecution, he was sentenced to five years in prison and a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. Although the killer’s family were disappointed that the judge refused to grant him credit for the time he had already served behind bars, they were grateful that he would receive treatment for his drug addiction. While Christopher is serving his sentence at South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville, Mississippi, Germaine has been supposedly released from prison and leading a private life. The former is scheduled to be released from prison in November 2026.
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