On September 13, 2006, after a lengthy investigation, Camden County grand jury indicted Dr. Chua for two counts of felony murder — for the same person — and 17 counts of violation of Georgia’s Controlled Substance Act. Consequently, Dr. Chua was denied bail and was jailed in neighboring Glynn County, a move that was never explained by the authorities. On November 2, 2006, after his lawyers filed a motion, Dr. Chua was returned to Camden County Jail.

In an email interview by Perry Diaz with Dr. Chua in jail, the doctor said “Carter started out as a patient who became an employee in my medical office. Presented himself as very smart and friendly student who wanted to be a doctor and had invited me and my cousin to his parents’ separate homes. I was treating him for his long history of severe migraines and had to be hospitalized twice under my care for that condition. His past medical history reveals extensive work-up and numerous hospitalizations and ER visits for the same condition.”

“Dr. Chua said that they charged him for every medication that he prescribed to Carter as a felony because they had Carter’s medical record from his office reviewed by another doctor, who never saw Carter and subsequently concluded that there was no medical reason for Dr. Chua’s prescriptions. The extensive past medical records of the patient that my lawyers were able to obtain at a later time showed that the patient has been tried on about every medication that I also tried but nothing really gave him “My civil lawyers (after the family filed a civil suit) also found out that the patient had been seeing a drug rehab doctor even prior to his initial visit in my office. Nobody will be able to provide any evidence that there had been any communication between my office and the rehab doctor’s office since this fact was hidden from me by the patient and his family members that had given me a warm reception in their homes.’

Dr. Chua said that the toxicology report showed that Carter had multiple drugs in his system, even drugs that he never prescribed to him. Dr. Chua also said that he warned Carter never to mix his prescriptions with any other drugs. In addition, he said that the autopsy report showed “evidence of sudden intense elevation of pressure in his head similar to something seen on people that were strangled." He said: “This can only come from injecting something that raised his blood pressure intensely or assuming a very awkward position after a sudden death which is contrary to a slow death experienced by people simply dying of a drug overdose

“They charged me with two murders for one dead body blaming the overdose on me. Not satisfied with that, they charged me with racketeering which gave them the power to seize all my assets. It’s obviously a dirty, sleazy trick to grab all my money and properties so I will not be able to afford any defense on my part."

‘The case was set for trial in November 2006; however, the District Attorney was unable to proceed with prosecuting the case. Dr. Chua said that during a preliminary hearing, his lawyers were able to get one of the murder charges dismissed. It boggles my mind why they charged him for two counts of murder for the death of one person? At the present time the District Attorney is begging the federal attorney to take over the case and pursue the drug charges."

Chua’s supporters have started collecting testimonials from Dr. Chua’s patients Showing how good a doctor he is and that he has demonstrated that he takes his Hippocratic Oath seriously. They said he went out of his way for his patients. And he did it for James Carter III.

The 47-year old Dr. Chua has an impeccable personal and professional background. He was a high school valedictorian, magna cum laude in Medical Technology, Number 1 in the Med-Tech Board in 1987, and a consistent honor student. He graduated from the Far Eastern University Medical School in Manila, Number 11 in the Medical Board, and worked for six months as a missionary doctor in Palawan. He had highest distinction honors after completing his Master’s degree in Health Care Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Diaz said that the death of James Carter III was unfortunate but what happened to Dr Chua was abominably heinous. Southern justice — or injustice —of the Jim Crow era is still very much alive in Georgia today.