Jury delivers verdict at Columbus murder trial in 16-year-old’s shooting death
A Columbus jury reached a verdict Wednesday shortly before noon in the trial of two suspects in the death of a 16-year-old in August 2023.
Akiraon Reed, 18, and Andrew Crowell, 21, faced criminal charges including felony murder and malice murder in the death of 16-year-old Dayton Willis on Aug. 31, 2023.
Willis was found in his aunt’s car suffering from multiple gunshots in front of a ball field at Double Churches Park, according to officials.
The jury found Crowell guilty on all charges: malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The jury found Reed guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. They found Reed not guilty of malice murder.
‘This case is very simple’
In her opening arguments Assistant District Attorney Meghan Bowden told jurors, “This case is very simple. Here’s what it’s about: On Aug. 31st of 2023, Andrew Crowell, sitting right there, and Akiraon Reed, shot and killed Dayton Willis on Double Churches Road.”
Bowden said evidence would show Willis attended Northside High School, where he met Reed, and they were friends. She said Willis didn’t know Crowell but Reed knew him.
Reed was living at The Palms apartment complex at the time and Crowell had a girlfriend who lived there, Bowden told the jury.
Bowden said jurors would see a message sent by Reed to Willis’ Instagram account around 11:18 p.m. that said, “Here I come.” She also told jurors they would see surveillance video from The Palms of two people leaving the apartment complex and getting into Willis’ car.
Cellphone records
Cellphone records would show Reed’s phone was with Willis’ until shortly after the shooting, Bowden said. Cellphone records also would show Crowell’s phone was in the area at the time of the shooting and moving along with Reed and Willis’ phones, she said.
Bowden said the jury would hear the shots in a surveillance video from a church in the area. The car proceeded to roll at a low speed until it stopped after hitting a tree about a half mile up the road, according to Bowden.
The church surveillance video will also show Crowell and Reed walk out of the woods toward The Palms, Bowden said. Shell casings found at a bridge and in the vehicle were linked to two 9mm weapons after a GBI analysis, according to Bowden.
Bowden said Willis had a revolver, but it was never used. The detective on the case would receive a ballistic lead from the shells at the scene, matching them to a separate crime investigation in which Crowell is linked to, according to Bowden’s opening statements.
“They executed him (Willis) for no reason,” Bowden told the jury. “That is what the evidence is gonna show, and I’m gonna ask you to find the verdict of guilty on every single count.”
Sentencing for the two defendants is scheduled for April 1 at 11 a.m.
Defense and prosecution react to verdict
“We’re never happy, you know, when our clients are convicted,” William Kendrick, attorney for Crowell, said following the verdict.
Kendrick said he respects the jury’s verdict and said they were attentive.
He said he will advocate for life with the possibility of parole for his client at the sentencing hearing.
Kendrick spoke with jurors following the verdict Wednesday. When asked what they told him as to why they found his client guilty of malice murder and not Reed, he said the jury didn’t address that in particular with him. However, he said he thinks it was a culmination of the videos before and after the incident, DNA evidence and shell casings.
Shevon Thomas II addressed Reed’s not guilty verdict on the malice murder charge. He said it indicated to him the jury believed Crowell, had a “little bit more involvement” in the homicide.
Thomas said, while he doesn’t agree with the verdict, he respects the jury’s decision. He said he will ask for life with the possibility of parole for his client at sentencing.
“He was a child when he was arrested,” Thomas said. “He’s gonna become a man in prison.”
Reed is not happy with the verdict, Thomas said, but he said Reed remains positive and prays.
“He does have a lot of life to live, and he does have an opportunity to redeem himself,” Thomas said. “And I told him to take advantage of that, and I believe that he will.”
Bowden said she feels “great” about the verdict.
“I think we got justice for Dayton,” she said.
Part of the prosecution’s case against the two defendants were text messages between Reed and Crowell.
Bowden said one text read, “When we get back to The Palms, we gonna do it to him or what.”
That message told the prosecution and the jury the two defendants were planning on either shooting Willis or taking his car, Bowden said.
“They were indicative that they were obviously planning on doing something to Dayton, that he didn’t know about, because they’re both in the car with him, and they’re not communicating with him,” she said. “So, they’re trying to get the drop on him.”
Bowden said the state will ask for the maximum sentence of life without parole for each defendant.
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 1:44 PM.