Chickamauga Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2022 Murder at Dollar General Store

Jeremy McCrary, 46, of Chickamauga, has been sentenced to life in the Georgia Department of Corrections with the possibility of parole, plus five additional years, after a Walker County jury convicted him of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. The conviction stems from the March 2022 shooting death of 53-year-old Danny Claire.

The week-long jury trial, which concluded with a guilty verdict on May 23, 2025, presented evidence that on March 22, 2022, McCrary and his son-in-law were driving aggressively on motorcycles on Lee-Clarkson Road in Chickamauga. After an attempt to pass Danny Claire’s vehicle, Claire swerved to prevent them. The pair eventually passed Claire, and McCrary’s son-in-law struck Claire’s side mirror, causing damage.

The confrontation escalated when Claire pulled into the Dollar General store parking lot off Garrett’s Chapel Road, where McCrary and his son-in-law had also stopped. During an argument, McCrary removed a gun from his pocket and shot Claire in the chest. Evidence showed Claire was unarmed, and no physical altercation had occurred before the shooting. Claire died in the parking lot within minutes.

Following the shooting, McCrary and his son-in-law fabricated a false narrative, claiming Claire had initiated a physical altercation by pushing McCrary into a fence. This version of events was disproven by multiple eyewitnesses and inconsistencies with physical and medical evidence.

At trial, the jury heard testimony from store customers who witnessed the murder, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation medical examiner, officers from the Walker County Sheriff’s Department, and a Georgia State Patrol trooper who recreated the crime scene using drone technology. McCrary testified in his own defense, repeating his false narrative, but the jury remained unpersuaded and returned a guilty verdict.

Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Don W. Thompson handed down the sentence.

District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller praised Chief Assistant District Attorney Deanna Reisman and Assistant District Attorney Zachary Trippe for their prosecution, calling Reisman “one of the best prosecutors in the state.” He also commended the “exceptional” efforts of Captain Richie Dye with the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, retired Detective Rebecca Beason, Trooper Scotty Smith, and District Attorney’s Office investigators Christy Smith and Daniel Thacker. Victim Advocate Amy Reed served as a liaison to the Claire family.

Fuller emphasized the commitment to deterring violent crime: “I’ve spent 15 years in the military advising on the lawful use of force. What happened that day wasn’t self-defense it was an unnecessary and deadly escalation. In Walker County, if you take a life without cause, we’ll make sure you spend yours behind four walls.”