Murder trial of 2 suspects charged in teen’s death to start in Columbus
Two suspects are set to stand trial next week on criminal charges including murder in the 2023 death of a 16-year-old a day after the victim’s birthday, according to court documents.
Court documents say Akiraon Reed, 18, and Andrew Crowell, 21, are facing charges including malice murder and felony murder in connection with the Aug. 31, 2023, death of Dayton Willis.
The shooting happened in the 2300 block of Double Churches Road. Responding officers found Willis suffering from gunshot wounds in front of a ball field at Double Churches Park.
Willis was found in his aunt’s car on the shoulder of the road with a .38 revolver in his lap, Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan told the Ledger-Enquirer then.
Reed was 15 at the time of the shooting and stood in a Columbus Recorder’s Court hearing on his 16th birthday in November 2023.
In that hearing, Columbus Police Department Sgt. Demetrius Battle testified the victim’s phone was recovered from the car where he died and a social media message was found on the phone that read, “Here I come.”
The social media page was then linked to Reed, according to Battle’s testimony.
A revolver-style firearm was found under the victim’s arm with five bullets in it, Battle testified.
Battle told the court multiple gunshots could be heard in a surveillance video.
Jury selection for the case is scheduled to begin Monday in Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit Superior Court at the Columbus Government Center, 100 10th St., with Judge Bobby Peters presiding.
This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 11:11 AM.