Suspected Serial Killer Threatened to Shoot Co-Worker: Colleague

A suspected serial killer charged with the deaths of four people, including a woman shot to death in downtown Decatur, had run-ins with a co-worker and claimed to have had a gun.

Terrance Rhodes, who trained Aeman Presley as a dishwasher several months ago when they worked at Carole Parks Catering, 494 Plasters Avenue NE, in Buckhead, told WSB TV that Presley was odd. But there was no inkling of the crimes Presley is accused of committing.

“You meet all kinds of people in walks in life and you never know who they really are. I guess you can tell he is off, but I never thought, didn’t think anything of that magnitude,” Rhodes told WSB.

He says Presley and another worker, whom he identified only as Derrick, argued every day because Derrick was upset that Presley wasn’t doing the job as he was supposed to, Rhodes said.

“Aeman Presley was very upset. He said Derrick is lucky he didn’t (shoot) him because he had a gun,” Rhodes told the TV station.

MARTA police last week released security camera footage which shows the arrest of Presley, who police believe has killed at least four people in Atlanta and DeKalb County.

According to CBS Atlanta, Presley’s alleged killing spree was brought to an end innocently enough when he tried to sneak through the gates at the Georgia State MARTA Station without paying. Footage shows Presley following closely behind a wheelchair-bound patron proceeding through the handicapped gate, which stays open longer to accommodate wheelchairs.

Officers James Williams and Lashi Smith approached Presley and took him to an area away from foot traffic to ask him if he had his Breeze Card, CBS Atlanta says. Presley, who looked nervous, attempted to get away but was quickly subdued by Williams and Smith, the station reports.

It wasn’t until Presley was in custody that the officers discovered the handgun loaded with hollow-point ammunition in his backpack, CBS Atlanta says. Police have confirmed that the gun and the ammunition match the gun and ammunition used to kill sleeping homeless men Dorian Jenkins and Tommy “Can Man” Mims on Nov. 23 and Nov. 26, respectively.

Presley has also been charged with the murders of Karen Pearce of Smyrna and Calvin Gholston in the Decatur area, police confirmed earlier this week. Police said that Presley confessed to Pearce’s murder while in custody; her body was found near One Decatur Town Center.

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»WSB TV screenshot of catering business where Aeman Presley is said to have briefly worked; Presley in police photo.