Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘Rearview Killer & Point Blank’ of A&E’s ‘The First 48’ chronicles the tragic killings of Rodney McGee and Leroy Coleman in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in late 2016. As the police launched the double homicide investigation, they uncovered a complicated drug deal and talked to numerous witnesses of the gruesome crime. Ultimately, the detectives managed to apprehend the killer on the run, thanks to a relative. The documentary also features in-depth interviews with the two deceased men’s family and friends, as well as the officers who helped solve the case.
Rodney McGee and Leroy Coleman Were at a Tulsa Motel When They Met Their Demises
Born around 1965, Rodney McGee was visiting acquaintances and friends at the Holiday Motel at 3220 West Charles Page Boulevard in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in November 2016. Following an argument inside Room 103, where Rodney was with his friends, a sudden shooting occurred in the parking lot of the motel on the night of November 18, 2016, leading to Rodney’s untimely demise. In Room 102, the motel’s maintenance worker, Leroy Junior Coleman III, was also brutally wounded in the incident. The beloved son of Leroy Junior Coleman Sr and Velita Maria Reed was born on December 3, 1986, in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Raised alongside his brother, Gavin Travis Robertson, and a sister named Sadè Ella Mae Coleman, Leroy went to public schools in Muskogee before attending McLain High School.
By the time he was in his late 20s, Leroy was a devoted husband to Chanel and a doting father to his sons — Marcel Coleman, Aaron Coleman, and Malichi Coleman — and a daughter named Aliyah Coleman. On the fateful night of November 18, 2016, the Tulsa Police Department received a 911 call around 9:24 pm regarding a shootout at the motel. Upon reaching the crime scene, the police found Rodney and Leroy shot. While 51-year-old Rodney was pronounced dead at the scene from the gunshot wound to his head, 29-year-old Leroy, who was shot in the neck, was rushed to the hospital, where he passed away two days later, on November 20, 2016. Without any delay, a homicide investigation was launched to apprehend the perpetrator.
Rodney McGee and Leroy Coleman’s Killer Was Caught in a Relative’s Home
After gathering evidence at the crime scene, the authorities spoke with potential witnesses who were present at the motel and identified a possible suspect — a man named James “Jay” Mahdavi. According to witness statements, James was one of Rodney McGee’s acquaintances who was in Room 103 on the fateful day. He reportedly fled the scene after the shooting incident. The police reports alleged that James frequently visited homeless camps along the Arkansas River. They asked the public to beware, as he was considered armed and dangerous. One of the witnesses, Levi Dunkin, initially denied knowing James as he didn’t want to get involved in the investigation. However, Levi later identified him from a six-man photo lineup and alleged that he was the shooter.
Apart from relying on witness statements, the detectives also reviewed surveillance footage from the motel. They spotted the suspect walking up to Rodney in the parking lot and shooting him in the head, before walking around the corner of the building and shooting through the window of Room 102. Leroy’s wife, Chanel, who stayed with him in Room 102, told the detectives that after hearing the first gunshot outside, Leroy went to the window to take a look outside, and that’s when he was fatally shot in the neck. According to investigative reports, James allegedly got into a heated argument with Rodney and James’ uncle, Garland Funkhouser, inside Room 193 on the fateful evening.
Shortly after Rodney Brummett, who lived in the room, allegedly told James to leave the room, the suspect shot Rodney to death. About a week after the tragedy, on November 25, 2016, James Mahdavi was tracked down and located in his uncle’s house at 218 South 33rd West Avenue. When the Tulsa Police Department reached the house, he had been hiding in the attic of a shed in the backyard. After a short standoff with him, the police reportedly used pepperballs and finally took him into custody, charging him with the murders of 29-year-old Leroy Coleman and 51-year-old Rodney McGee.
James Mahdavi is Currently Incarcerated at an Oklahoma Prison
In March 2018, James “Jay” Mahdavi stood trial for the 2016 double homicide of Rodney McGee and Leroy Coleman. During the trial, the prosecution brought multiple witnesses to testify against the defendant. Rodney Brummett told the jury that he had known James for about 14 years and identified him as the shooter who killed Rodney and Leroy. James’ uncle, Garland Funkhouser, who was in Room 103 at the time of the shootings, also testified against him, claiming that he heard a gunshot outside the motel and that Levi Dunkin said, “Jay did it.” Levi also took the stand and confirmed that the assailant in the motel’s surveillance footage was James. He claimed that he had witnessed the defendant fire a round into Room 102 with a .22 pistol.
Ultimately, in March 2018, the jury deliberated and reached a final verdict. James “Jay” Mahdavi was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the killings of Rodney McGee and Leroy Coleman. After the jury suggested that the convict receive life imprisonment, the judge followed their suggestions and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. More than two years later, in November 2020, his motion to overturn his convictions was rejected by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, and his convictions were upheld. As of today, the 63-year-old killer is serving his sentence at James Crabtree Correctional Center in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma.
Read More: Richard and Janet Sweet Murders: Where is Isaiah Sweet Now?
You must be logged in to post a comment.