Richmond County juries found two men guilty of murder this week, while a third pleaded guilty to murder in homicides from 2020 and 2023, according to a news release from Augusta Circuit District Attorney Jared Williams.
Naytrone Adams, 26, faces a mandatory life sentence after a jury found him guilty Thursday of malice murder and felony murder and multiple other counts in the 2020 shooting death of Keyeon Demmons. His sentencing is next week.
Adams, of Columbia, was charged with firing a gun multiple times into a vehicle on Olive Road Sept. 29, 2020, killing Demmons and injuring two others, according to prior reports.
Adams is one of several inmates suing Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree after video surfaced of a 2022 excessive force incident in a flooded area of the jail. The incident led to the eventual arrests of several deputies.
Nicholas Lattimore, 30, was found guilty Friday of two counts of felony murder and several other charges in the June 26, 2020, shooting death of Miguel Reyes. Superior Court Judge John Flythe sentenced Lattimore to life without parole plus 70 years.
Lattimore, of Augusta, was charged with killing Reyes in the parking lot of a west Augusta Parkway shooting plaza.
Sanqwon Berry, 17, pleaded guilty to malice murder and felony murder Friday in the Dec. 11, 2023 shooting death of Jeremiah Griffin at the Smart Grocery on Wrightsboro Road. Superior Court Judge Ashley Wright sentenced Berry to life in prison.
Williams thanked his staff and law enforcement for their work in getting justice for the victims and their families.
“In a year rapidly approaching 50 murders, our commitment to protecting this community remains strong and focused on eradicating violent crime,” he said. “I am grateful for the message these juries have sent that the senseless violence in our community must stop. Violent criminals will find no quarter in the Augusta Judicial Circuit.”
