Murfreesboro, TN - A long awaited end to a murder case that started with the death of an Army Veteran in Murfreesboro will come to a close next week in a Rutherford County Courtroom. On the late afternoon day of June 27, 2018, 27-year-old Dylan Biddle, II lost his life in a hail of gunfire at a residence in the 1300 block of Old Lascassas Pike. Biddle, a guest at the apartment, valiantly returned fire when an unknown assailant entered and opened fire. Reports revealed that Biddle succumbed to his injuries, but not before the shooter was struck at least once. Rutherford County District Attorney Jennings Jones explains more of what occurred in 2018...
Shortly after the incident, Murfreesboro Police responded to calls of a bleeding man attempting to enter parked cars near Reeves-Rogers Elementary School. The wounded individual, identified as 20-year-old Albert Mustapha, was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in critical condition. Mustapha, initially a shooting victim, later faced a turn of events that were not in his favor as he was charged with Biddle's murder in a sealed indictment two months later.
Lead investigator Detective Tommy Massey later disclosed through court proceedings that Mustapha entered the residence with the intent to commit robbery. Mustapha faced a slew of charges, including conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, and first-degree felony murder. The case proceeded to trial in August of this year (2023) in Rutherford County, where Mustapha was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to life in prison for Biddle's murder.
A sentencing hearing for the remaining charges is scheduled for December 14, 2023. Mustapha, now 25, was 20 at the time of the murder. In an intriguing twist, it was revealed that while awaiting trial for Biddle's murder, Mustapha was found guilty in a separate 2016 case involving theft valued at over $10,000 in neighboring Williamson County. On February 7, 2020, Mustapha received a 9-year prison sentence for the theft charge.
Two additional men and two females were also charged in connection to Biddles death. The four additional culprits who were previously convicted include Devonte James, Kyle Fuggett, Lesean Savage and Chasitie Smith, who each pleaded guilty to attempted especially aggravated robbery. James was also found guilty of facilitation to commit second degree murder.
US Army Veteran: Biddle, who was shot and killed by Mustapha, served in the U.S. Army where he was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. He is burried in the West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery.
