Jury returns for second day of deliberations in GA murder case from gun buy gone wrong

Two men charged with murder and armed robbery in 2020 that led to the death of 20-year-old Quincy Atkins faced their fate in a Columbus courtroom Monday. The jury failed to reach a verdict and will return Tuesday for a second day of deliberations.

The supposed robbery occurred in a vacant house at 2900 Cusseta Road where Dwayne Jackson, Anthony McGhee and Atkins met defendants Ty’Shaun Sylvester and Jessie Lee Harper.

Jackson, McGhee and Atkins met the defendants to buy a Romanian-made Draco semiautomatic Sylvester offered for sale on Facebook, according to Prosecutors Sadhana Dailey and Ray Daniel.

McGhee and Jackson, who both testified, said Harper showed up, as they arrived to buy the gun, and pulled a pistol on them.

Atkins told them more valuables were in the trunk of his charger. Atkins was mortally wounded after both suspects opened fire on him after he attempted to drive away, prosecutors said.

Atkins traveled a short distance before crashing into a house and bleeding to death, Dailey said.

Sylvester’s attorney, William Kendrick, told jurors the defendants were the victims of the robbery.

Emergency line recordings were played by prosecutors where a woman called saying she saw a man shooting as a car raced away.

She told a dispatcher, “My son seen the whole thing. He’s 6 years old.”

Kendrick said Jackson contacted Sylvester via Facebook about buying the gun, but Jackson did not show for the initial meeting.

In the second meeting all five men were present and haggled over the price of the gun before the shooting began, Kendrick said.

Kendrick claimed Sylvester and Harper were shot at first.

He said shell casings recovered at the scene came from a 9 millimeter pistol, the same as the gun Atkins had. The Draco fires a 7.62 millimeter bullet, he said.

Sirena Saunders, public defender for Harper. Said her client was not involved in any of the communications for the gun sale. She told jurors not to blame Harper for any evidence that incriminates only Harper.

Police saw Harper and Sylvester traveling in a sheep Patriot the following April 28, according to Dailey. She said police found Atkin’s gun inside the vehicle.

Dailey said Sylvester discarded a backpack that had two guns inside, but the weapons used in Atkin’s shooting were never recovered,

Sylvester jumped out and ran, and Harper drove the Jeep onto railroad tracks before abandoning it. Both suspects escaped that day.

Both suspects were captured in May 2020.

Dailey said police found Atkin’s gun inside the vehicle.

Dailey said Sylvester discarded a backpack that had two guns inside, but the weapons used in Atkin’s shooting were never recovered,

The witnesses were reluctant to testify against the defendants and often refused to answer questions without being ordered to, according to Ledger-Enquirer reporting.

In closing arguments defense attorneys said the witnesses were lying.

“We know they lie,” Kendrick said. “That’s just the truth of the matter.”

Saunders said, “If you don’t believe them, they have nothing left,” and emphasized the prosecution’s reliance on Jackson and McGhee’s testimony in their case.

Dailey rebutted the defense’s argument saying “They were reluctant to testify because they were scared to death.”

She would go on to say, “They didn’t want to be labeled a snitch. That’s what murderers count on: Don’t snitch.”

“The defendants wouldn’t have Quincy’s gun if the victims were lying,” she said.

This story was originally published August 29, 2023 at 6:57 AM.