Two defendants in the 2019 shooting death of a Lithonia man whose body was found in an Augusta CVS parking lot pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter Monday.
Gary Fitzgerald Thomas and Marvin Hakeem Griffin were under indictment with two other co-defendants for felony murder and malice murder in the Feb. 14, 2019, shooting death of Samuel Stewart III, 43.
MORE: Brown sentenced to life in prison for 2012 killing of boyfriend
According to prior reports, Thomas, Griffin, Porche Harris and Imanuel Richardson were at a Hogan Street residence where Stewart had brought two kilograms of cocaine to sell.
Prosecutors believe Richardson was in a separate room of the house with Stewart when he fired a single gunshot into the victim’s back, taking his drugs and drug profits, said Alejandro Pascual IV, deputy chief assistant district attorney for the Columbia County Judicial Circuit.
The case is one of many reassigned to Columbia County circuit prosecutors due to Augusta DA Jared Williams’ prior role as the defendants’ defense attorney.
Harris, who notified police Stewart was at CVS, initially told them he waved her down for a ride to the hospital. Eventually, after cleaning the crime scene with Griffin, she pointed to Richardson as the shooter.
The victim’s family, speaking remotely to the court via Webex, urged Superior Court Judge Jesse Stone to give the defendants life without parole.
“I believe in karma and you are receiving it now,” said Stewart’s aunt, Rebecca Stewart. “You are going to hell.”
The mother of Stewart’s children, Taj Stewart, said Stewart was “an active father” who spoke to his two kids every day.
If the defendants cared about Stewart, as Griffin said he did, they’d have called 911 to try to save his life, she said.
Pascual offered them a reduced sentence to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter in exchange for their cooperation.
Representing Griffin, defense attorney Jacque Hawk said Griffin grew up in a large family and was heavily exposed to drugs as a youth.
“He had no idea anything like this was planned,” Hawk said.
Griffin, who was armed, probably stopped additional people from getting killed by ordering everyone to “get the hell out” after the one shooting, he said.
Griffin, 35, told the court he was close to Stewart, who he called “Bam.”
“I’m sorry it was him and not me,” he said.
Attorney for Thomas, Todd Mitchell, said his client did not lie to police or help clean the crime scene.
Stone sentenced each of the men to 30 years or more, to serve the first 15 in confinement. They’ll get credit for the five years they’ve served at Webster Detention Center.
