McGee was murdered at the age of 22 in August 2017, but none of investigators\u2019 efforts led to solving the case until 2024, when the Tyler Police Department received new information that led investigators to identify Rodgers and another suspect \u2014 Quadaverine Allison, 32, of Longview \u2014 as suspects in the homicide.<\/p>\n
The homicide investigation was launched in 2017 after a gunshot victim was brought to a Tyler hospital around 7:45 a.m. Aug. 11, 2017. Officers determined the shooting happened outside the residence of 1602 E. Lawrence Street a few minutes earlier. The victim, identified as McGee,<\/a> asked for the help of a neighbor, who drove him to the hospital after he was shot. McGee died at the hospital.<\/p>\n Police said a blood trail was seen inside the Lawrence Street home. Investigators said it was not a random shooting and believed narcotics were connected to the incident.<\/p>\n A portion of Rodgers\u2019 sentence will run concurrently with a sentence she is already serving for an unrelated aggravated assault conviction, according to the Smith County District Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
Although McGee\u2019s murder remained unsolved for nearly seven years, prosecutors say resolution shows local investigators\u2019 commitment to seeking justice.<\/p>\n \u201cThis sentence represents accountability for Rodgers\u2019 role in the murder of Joshua McGee,\u201d\u00a0 Assistant District Attorney Heath Chamness said. \u201cWhile no sentence can undo the loss suffered by Mr. McGee\u2019s family and loved ones, the resolution of this case demonstrates the commitment of Tyler Police Department to pursue justice, regardless of how much time has passed.\u201d<\/p>\n The Smith County Criminal District Attorney\u2019s Office commends Detective Gardner and the Tyler Police Department for their dedication and persistence in investigating this case and securing justice for McGee.<\/p>\n The DA\u2019s office continues to prosecute Allison, the co-defendant in this case. He is serving a 25-year prison sentence at the Allred Unit after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery in 2018.<\/p>\n The Longview News-Journal reported Allison robbed a Little Caesars<\/a> on High Street in July 2017. Allison\u2019s sister was also charged in the robbery. The News-Journal reported she previously worked at the pizza joint until she was fired a few months before the robbery. The pair got away with $1,212 in cash from the restaurant\u2019s safe.<\/p>\n McGee\u2019s sister, A\u2019aliyah, said in a statement the family has been seeking answers<\/a> since 2017 in the murder case, CBS19 <\/a>reported in May after the indictments were announced.<\/p>\n \u201cEven with the amount of evidence Smith County had, no one had been charged for years in connection with his death,\u201d she wrote in the statement, according to CBS19<\/a>. \u201cBack in June, we received a call from detectives letting us know they were charging two people, and about three weeks ago, we were informed that the indictments were being served. Then yesterday, one of the suspects (Rodgers) was finally transported to Smith County.\u201d<\/p>\n A\u2019aliyah said that after nearly 10 years, her family finally feels \u201clike we are getting justice and closure\u201d for her brother, McGee.<\/p>\n \u201cTo anyone still seeking justice for their loved one, don\u2019t stop demanding answers. Keep turning in every piece of evidence you have, because no amount of evidence is too small,\u201d she said. \u201cWe stayed on top of this case from the very beginning, making sure detectives had everything they needed \u2014 screenshots, screen recordings, pictures, text messages, anything we could think of. Our biggest goal was making sure my brother\u2019s case never became a cold case.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the family made a promise they would get justice.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026 Even though it took years, we\u2019re grateful that day has finally come,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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