CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The trial began Tuesday for the three men charged with first-degree murder in the 2023 shooting outside of Dodge’s on Fort Campbell Boulevard.
Jarlen Corbin, 29, was found with multiple gunshot wounds at the scene and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Otis Lee Barnes, 24, Maleike Tyree Hamlin, 31, and Santanna Antonio Compton McFarlan, 23, were each charged, and all three have pleaded not guilty.
Opening statements: Who was armed, who was firing
Prosecutor Marianne Bell told jurors the case is about “ego and violence,” arguing the three defendants surrounded Corbin and opened fire as he walked back to his car in the early morning hours of Jan. 28, 2023. Bell said surveillance video will show Corbin entering and exiting the store before Barnes and Hamlin followed him outside. She said they “walked closer and surrounded him” before shooting him.
She also referenced testimony from military veteran Christopher Cosby, who intervened. She told jurors surveillance video corroborates Cosby’s account and that no shell casings at the scene matched Corbin’s firearm.
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Defense attorneys argued the shooting was self-defense. Attorney Jake Fendley told jurors Corbin was armed, had been drinking and was acting aggressively.
Fendley argued Corbin flashed and later waved a firearm. “There was an armed man in front of these three young men,” he said.
Timothy Warren, representing Hamlin, said the case is “riddled with doubt,” arguing the men were “terrified” and reacted to a perceived threat.
Stephanie Mize, representing McFarlan, said “the police got it wrong,” arguing her client was not part of any plan. “Once the gunshots started firing, everybody started defending themselves,” she said.
Dodge’s cashier testimony
Olivia Stamper, a cashier at Dodge’s that morning, testified she was inside the store when gunfire erupted. She said she heard shots but did not see the shooting.
Surveillance video played for jurors showed, before the shooting, Corbin wearing an orange hoodie entering and leaving the store. Barnes and Hamlin were seen going in and out. Video also showed McFarlan under the hood of his car minutes before the shooting.
Stamper testified that after the gunfire, Cosby came back inside and that she handed him the phone while calling 911 “because he had more knowledge of the suspects.” She said she was not concerned when Cosby re-entered the store with his firearm because “he had put his gun away.”
Military veteran returns fire
Cosby, a licensed concealed carry holder and military veteran, testified he had stopped at Dodge’s to prepay for diesel and buy breakfast. “As I came out the door, I noticed there was a lot of commotion and yelling,” he said.
He said he saw the first man – wearing a red jacket with white sleeves – draw a pistol and open fire on Corbin, who was in an orange hoodie. “The only thing I saw he had in his hands was food,” Cosby said of Corbin as he exited the gas station.
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Cosby testified that when gunfire began, he then drew his own firearm and returned fire, believing Corbin’s life was in danger. After firing a whole magazine and determining there was no longer an immediate threat, he retreated into the store and told employees to call 911.
“I never saw Mr. McFarlan,” he said.
He acknowledged it was a stressful situation and said he did not initially remember every detail clearly, including clothing descriptions.
Officer testimony: Corbin was holding gun
Clarksville Police Agent Tyler Irvin testified he arrived within minutes of the shooting while on patrol. Corbin was still alive when officers arrived, Irvin said. He removed a handgun from Corbin’s hand so medical aid could begin.
“His finger was still on the trigger inside the trigger well,” Irvin said. A round was lodged in the chamber, and the weapon had malfunctioned.
Detective David Hauser testified he helped secure the crime scene, taping off the area and preserving evidence. He observed a food container on top of Corbin’s vehicle and noted the car was still running near a gas pump before he turned it off.
Court recessed Tuesday evening and is scheduled to resume Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Montgomery County Courts Center.
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