Three youths broke into a man’s house before shooting him and left his body in the middle of the road.
Sydney Maughon, 18, Jeremey Munson, 18, and McKenzie Davenport, 19, have all been charged with malice murder, battery, and criminal trespass. Cops claim they were encouraged to commit the act because of a “ongoing lovers’ quarrel.”
Johnathan Gilbert, 22, also known as Tyler Lane, was killed on Dobbins Mill Road in Griffin, Georgia on July 3.
Investigators were able to locate a witness who provided the necessary evidence to arrest the three teenagers.
Spalding County Sheriff, Darrell Dix, said: “Using that information, investigators began their search for the suspects, located a cell phone number that was tied to one of them, and tracked it to a location in Henry County.”
Officers were sent to the location where they obtained a search warrant of the residence and the adjacent vehicle.
“During the search they retrieved the car that was used in the crime, along with the gun that we believe was used to shoot Gilbert”, the Sheriff added.
As the investigation continued to unravel more suspects were identified and arrested.
Darrel added: “It appears that there was an ongoing lovers’ quarrel, and the suspects decided to go to Gilbert’s residence on Dobbins Mill and vandalise it by egging it.
“When Gilbert saw what they were doing to his residence, he came out of the house unarmed, to confront them.”
As the victim approached the group, Maughon pulled out a firearm from their car and shot him repeatedly before driving away, police said.
The Sheriff said the three are all equally culpable for the murder adding that “they bought that ticket”, and now they have to “ride the ride”.
Gilbert’s bloodied body was left lifeless in the middle of the street.
Tributes have been paid across social media, as one person wrote: “He will forever be missed. This world will not be the same without him in it.”
A funeral reportedly took place on Sunday at the Indian Springs State Park in Flovilla, Georgia.
