Two given life sentences in 2016 murder case
Published 8:11 pm Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Kelvin Hurston, 17, and Dextreion Shealey, 20, were convicted Monday in the Troup County Superior Court for a drive-by shooting and murder that took place on Dec. 17, 2016.
Following a six day trial, Hurston was sentenced to life plus 70 years and Shealey was sentenced to life, according to Assistant District Attorney Jack Winne.
Hurston, who is from LaGrange, was found guilty of felony murder, two counts of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, two counts aggravated assault and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Shealey, who is from West Point, was found guilty of three of the four counts of felony murder, one count of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act and aggravated assault. Shealey was acquitted of one street gang act violation, according to a press release from the district attorney’s office.
Hurston and Shealey were members of 4way, or Lot Boys, a West Point street gang, according to Winne.
“This case included 911 calls from law abiding residents of our community who called as they lay on the floor of their homes avoiding bullets flying through their neighborhood,” said District Attorney Herb Cranford in the press release. “Those citizens deserve to live in peace. This prosecution and verdict show that this community belongs to its peace-loving citizens, not criminal street gangs.”
On Dec. 17, 2016, Hurston and Shealey, along with eight others, were part of a convoy that opened fire in the LaGrange High School parking lot at Granger Park. The shooting took place at 10 p.m. in a crowd of 10 to 25 people, according to Winne.
No one was injured, but one of the defendant’s cars was hit by return fire, Winne said.
Hurston, Shealey, Shawndarious Sands, Charles Lovelace, Natori Lee, Coty Green, Zachary Holloway, Dontavious Rutledge, Andre Gilliam and a juvenile were a part of the convoy, according to the press release.
The other seven adult defendants received different sentences from 20 years to serve eight and 50 years to serve 33, according to the press release.
The group reconvened and thought the person who returned fire lived on Newnan Street, Winne said. Gilliam went back to West Point and the other nine took two cars to the house on Newnan Street, Winne said.
The gang shot into the house at 10:50 p.m., which killed Daven Tucker, according to the press release. The nine then returned to West Point before hiding in a motel room in Valley, Alabama, according to Winne.
Hurston was a shooter in both incidents, Winne said.
The day after the shootings, Valley police found the motel the nine were at and knocked on the door.
No one answered, but when the police started walking away, the suspects fled, according to Winne.
Police ended up detaining two of the men, and they gave a statement. The other eight were arrested on later dates, according to Winne.
Police found 29 shell casings in the LaGrange High School parking lot, Winne said.
The other seven adult defendants had previously pled guilty in Troup County Superior Court, according to the press release.
Jackie Patterson, Shealey’s attorney, said he will appeal the case to the Georgia Supreme Court.
“Although we respect the jury’s decision, the jury made the wrong decision,” Patterson said. “And I’m confident that the Georgia Supreme Court will throw out his conviction.”
Surinder Chadha Jimenez, Hurston’s attorney, said he will also file a motion for a new trial since Hurston was 16-years-old when the incident occured, yet was tried as an adult.
“Out of all the other people who were involved, he has the harshest sentence, including the co-defendant,” Chadha Jimenez said.
“The co-defendant got concurrent time, which means his life sentence will be served at the same time as his other counts, while my client’s every single count was consecutive.”