DEFENDANT SENTENCED IN ROAD RAGE KILLING OF MEMPHIS CHEF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Shelby County, TN — Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft today sentenced Jonathan Brush to six years in the Tennessee Department of Correction following his conviction for Voluntary Manslaughter in the 2022 killing of Memphis chef Jody Moyt.

On May 16, 2026, a Shelby County jury found Moyt guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter after a trial stemming from the fatal stabbing of Moyt on April 24, 2022.

Proof presented at trial showed that following a traffic-related incident on Sam Cooper Boulevard, Brush stabbed Moyt multiple times, causing injuries that resulted in his death.

During the sentencing hearing, the Court heard testimony from the sister of Daniel McClendon, the man whom Brush was convicted of killing in 1991 in Destin, Florida. McClendon's sister spoke about her brother's life and the devastating impact his murder had on her family. Her testimony was presented as part of the State's proof regarding Brush's prior Second Degree Murder conviction and its relevance to his character and history of violent conduct.

Judge Craft noted that, despite Brush's prior Second Degree Murder conviction in Florida, recent changes in Tennessee law limited the sentencing range available to the Court. As a result, the maximum sentence available for the Voluntary Manslaughter conviction was six years, with release eligibility after serving 30 percent of the sentence.

Assistant District Attorneys Missy Braham and Matthew Blissitt prosecuted the case and handled the sentencing.