An intense legal battle in Memphis has come to a close as a former security guard is sentenced to life behind bars for first-degree murder. Gregory Livingston, 57, confronted Alvin Motley Jr., 48, over loud music at a Kroger gas station back in August 2021, an encounter that ended tragically with Motley being fatally shot.
On May 3rd, as reported by the Nashville District Attorney's Office, a Shelby County jury handed down the guilty verdict. The fatal dispute began when Livingston approached the car in which Motley, visiting from Chicago, was a passenger and exchanged words about the volume of the music. Approaching with a beer and a cigarette, Motley urged to settle the matter "like men," prompting Livingston to draw his firearm and release a shot into Motley's chest, leading to his immediate death.
The trial saw Livingston's defense claiming self-defense, though the jury's verdict ultimately reflected disbelief in this narrative. Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft immediately imposed a life sentence upon the former security guard following the conviction.
The Nashville DA's team took charge of the prosecution after a conflict of interest arose in the Shelby County District Attorney's Office. Living under the watchful eyes, the Nashville team, including Assistant District Attorneys David Jones and Ronald Dowdy, as well as Media Specialists Megan Thomas and Lili Wall, worked diligently, with Victim Witness Coordinator Sunshine Sadler providing support to the Motley family through the trial, and DA Investigator Terry Wills making several treks to Memphis over the three-year period to secure a trial.
