3 people found guilty of Columbus murder in new trial after GA Supreme Court ruling
Three suspects in the 2016 shooting death of a man at a Columbus mall have been convicted on murder charges in a new trial after a Georgia Supreme Court decision.
Xzavaien Trevon Jones, 28, Tekoa Chantrell Young, 33, and Terrell Raquez McFarland, 35, were found guilty of all charges, including murder, in the shooting death of 24-year-old Anthony Meredith outside the entrance of the Peachtree Mall food court in March 2016.
Authorities alleged the three defendants are associated with the Crips street gang and killed Meredith to avenge the November 2015 death of Young’s boyfriend Christopher Twitty, who was also a Crip.
Jones was alleged to have shot Meredith 10 times as Young and McFarland watched.
Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Don Kelly said the state Supreme Court found an order written by original trial judge Frank Jordan removing a juror during deliberations did not state the facts that would allow the juror’s removal.
“The court found that, even though the transcript showed that there were sufficient facts to remove the juror, the judge had to put those facts in the order,” Kelly said.
Court documents show Jones was found guilty on the charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and violation of street gang terrorism and prevention act.
Court documents show Young and McFarland were found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and violation of street gang terrorism and prevention act.
Kelly said he thinks the prosecutors who tried the case, Crawford Seals and George Lipscomb, did a great job. Kelly said he is “especially happy that they were able to secure justice for the victim’s family and our community.”
The defendants will be resentenced and will have the opportunity to appeal any alleged errors in this trial, Kelly said. No sentencing date was available before publication.
“Every case is important, but some cases impact the entire community,” Kelly said. “When we have a homicide in a public space, folks are afraid to go to those places, and we lose a part of what makes this a community. Hopefully, this verdict sends a message to anyone involved in gangs that violent crime isn’t accepted and won’t be tolerated in our community.”