Joey Celestin spent 21 days in jail before police finally dropped that murder charge.
Its extreme. Weve lost so much because of it, Celestin said.
Back in September, Terry Stephenson was gunned down outside of his strip club on East Ponce de Leon in DeKalb County.
Hours later police were at Joey Celestins Canton home, arresting him in front of his two young sons.
I didnt know what was going on, had absolutely no clue, Celestin said.
News hit the airwaves and the internet quickly, that Celestin and his co-worker Bill Nichols had been charged in the murder. The two had apparently been named by a dancer who had seen them having lunch at the club.
For 21 days he sat in jail, worrying, never seeing my family again, Celestin said.
His attorney found a witness and indisputable evidence that Celestin was at work at the time of the murder.
At his work they have a biometric system and it clocks him in, Attorney Mike Jacobs said.
The warrants were dropped, but Celestin said the mark is still there, especially for his two boys.
The games that theyre playing are my oldest son is arresting my youngest son, Celestin said as he starts to cry.
Celestin wanted to underscore especially for the Stephenson family that he did not have anything to do with this murder.
He is in the process of filing a civil lawsuit against the county and the police department.
