Devonia was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 1998 murder of Donna Brown in Adel, Georgia. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Office in Douglas, GA at (912) 389-4103, or Adel Police Department at (229) 896-2225. Someone murdered Caroll Bennet, a beloved local grocer, and his employee Rebecca Browning. Results of DNA testing performed on the perpetrator's mask. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Other Georgia Exonerations. Great News! Nonetheless, he has sat in jail for more than two decades now. Devonia Inman exited the Augusta WebWe found 14 TV stations broadcasting 57 digital TV channels in the Adel, Georgia, area, including local CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and CW affiliates. (The US average is 35.4) NOTE: The city of Adel, Georgia does not have FBI Crime Statistics. Youd think this breakthrough, along with the unreliable witnesses and recanted testimony, would be enough to earn Devonia a new trial. Let Justice be done, Justice Nahmias said. Berrian was arrested and charged with one count of Felony Murder, one count of Aggravated Assault, one count of Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon, and one count of Possession of Firearm during the Commission of a Crime, in connection to the death of Tenesha Mordon, 41, of Valdosta. An adverse inference is a legal inference adverse to the concerned party made from that partys silence or the absence of requested evidence, according to uslegal.com. Tavares Askew, But the judge at Devonias trial refused to allow the jury to hear the testimony about Hercules, and the prosecutor asserted there was not one scintilla of evidence linking Hercules to the crime. GA attorney general defends murder conviction despite justices concerns, Let Justice Be Done: Georgia Justice Call on AG to Consider Ending Fight Over New Murder Trial, Listen to Murder Below the Gnat Line: GIP Case Featured in Season 4 of AJCs Breakdown. All three subjects were already in custody on previous charges, the press release states. More than eight years after DNA evidence revealed the state of Georgia sent the wrong man to prison for murder, Devonia Inman may finally have a chance to prove his innocence in court. WebADEL, Ga. (WALB) - Three people have been indicted in the 2019 death of Emmanuel Whitehead, 18, in Adel, according to a press release from the Georgia Bureau of Call 1-800-GEORGIA to verify that a website is an official website of the State of Georgia. All rights reserved. It adjusts for the number of visitors and daily workers commuting into cities. 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If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Hilarie Burton Morgan and Jessica Cino - It Couldn't Happen Here _ Season 1 - Photo Credit: SundanceTV. Its still unclear as to why the police believed that Devonia had killed Donna. Years after Devonias trial, Georgia Innocence Project secured DNA testing on the homemade ski mask that was found in the Taco Bell victims car. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app. A Chattooga County Superior Court Judge has granted Devonia Inmans habeas Why is it so hard to right a wrong in Georgia? When officers arrived, they found Penny deceased. WebThere was no hard evidence connecting Inman to the murder, which had taken place around 2 a.m. on September 19, 1998. With this nightmare behind him, Inman plans to rejoin his family in California and begin the journey of readjusting and healing. GAPS - Georgia Applicant Processing Service, Georgia Criminal History Record Restrictions, Obtaining Criminal History Record Information, Facebook page for Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Twitter page for Georgia Bureau of Investigation, GBI Investigates Two Deaths in Adel, GA - UPDATE. There are flower festivals and a quaint street adorned with family-run mom-and-pop shows. You can learn more, Instead, the AG continued to fight the case for another two years. Unfortunately, Georgia is one of only 13 states that does not currently have a statutory compensation law to provide financial relief for years lost to wrongful conviction. Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Based on what we find out, Devonia did have a violent streak, as his girlfriend testified to him being abusive. WebCrime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime) Adel (zip 31620) violent crime is 39.0. In June of this year, Katrina Cook Graham, chief judge of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, issued an order drawing adverse inference named another state inmate as the killer. More than 20 years later, new evidence raises a startling question: Is an innocent man serving life for another man's crime? Georgia Supreme Court Adopts Rule to Hold Prosecutors Accountable for Misconduct The primary duty of the prosecutor is to seek Devonia Inman Exonerated After 23 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment Twenty three years after he was imprisoned for a crime he Court Grants Devonia Inmans Habeas Corpus Petition! For more than two decades, Inman has maintained his innocence, denying any involvement in the Taco Bell Murder. Despite multiple discrepancies and according to the Georgia Innocence Project, a lack of physical evidence linking Inman to the crime, Inman was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Each violation, according to Judge Graham, demonstrates the fundamental unfairness of Mr. Inmans trial, undermines the Courts confidence in the outcome of the trial and related conviction, and justifies granting habeas corpus relief.. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. WebEpisode One "Adel, Georgia" Premieres September 9 at 10 p.m. True Crime Story: It Couldnt Happen Here is a compelling look at the way true crime impacts small towns. How you know. On Wednesday, February 16, 2022, the GBIs Douglas Office received a request from the Adel Police Department to assist with a death investigation. Adel is the type of place where everyone knows everyone, and maintaining a tight-knit community is important to the locals. The investigation is active and ongoing. All rights reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. State of Georgia government websites and email systems use georgia.gov or ga.gov at the end of the address. , or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at. 33 Local News Later, a juvenile was also identified as a third gunshot victim. She was the daughter of the late Burton B. and Ruth Gray Bennett. Episode Two "Sauquoit, New York" Premieres Sept. 16 at 10 p.m. Miss Virginia Gensie Bennett, 90, passed away February 20, 2023 in Adel, Georgia. Similarly, a jailhouse snitch contacted law enforcement to say Devonia had confessed in prison, but again, his testimony was not the most sound, and he, too, later recanted. WebADEL, Ga. (WALB) - Three people have been indicted in the 2019 death of Emmanuel Whitehead, 18, in Adel, according to a press release from the Georgia Bureau of She was carrying $1,732 in cash that she was going to deposit at a bank. The first episode deals with the death of Donna Brown, the manager of a Taco Bell in Adel who was killed in September 1998, said Chad Campbell, a spokesman for AMC Networks, which operates SundanceTV. Alapaha Judicial Circuit Chase Studstill filed a motion to dismiss the underlying charges, which Chief Judge Clayton Tomlinson granted Monday morning. Higher means more crime, U.S. average is 270.6. The court finds that prosecutors withheld critical evidence in the case of Devonia Inman that was featured in AJCs Breakdown podcast. WebHe was freed after wrongly being imprisoned for 23 years. The juvenile was treated for a minor injury and released. While Devonia was in jail awaiting trial, police arrested Brown on an attempted robbery and he had a homemade ski mask in his possession that was very similar to the distinctive homemade ski mask from the Taco Bell Murder. WebFebruary 24, 2022. Well revisit this point further down. Sep. 4ADEL The first episode of the gripping six-part series hosted by small-town native, advocate and actress Hilarie Burton Morgan ("One Tree Hill," "The Walking Dead," "Friday Night in with The Morgans"), "True Crime Story: It Couldn't Happen Here" will make its debut on Thursday at 10 p.m. on SundanceTV and AMC+. Background based on a previous GBI release: On Sunday, April 14, 2019, just before 1 a.m., the Adel Police Department (APD) responded to a shots fired call at The Stage in the 100 block of West First Street. In 1998, the manager of an Adel Taco Bell was robbed and shot in the parking lot of the restaurant. family and Georgias exoneree community. While Inmans future is bright, there is still a long road ahead. Low around 65F. With the Georgia Attorney Generals decision not to appeal, the Alapaha Judicial Circuit District Attorney quickly and successfully moved to dismiss all underlying charges against Devonia, officially exonerating him of the 1998 Taco Bell Murder. Units were then dispatched to a nearby convenience store where Whitehead was found, also suffering from a gunshot wound. GAPS - Georgia Applicant Processing Service, Georgia Criminal History Record Restrictions, Obtaining Criminal History Record Information, Facebook page for Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Twitter page for Georgia Bureau of Investigation, https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, GBI Makes Arrest in Adel Murder Investigation. Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Douglas Office at (912) 389-4103 or the Adel Police Department at (229) 896-2224. Without one, exonerees like Devonia Inman are left on their own, with virtually no support from the State, to rebuild their lives. AUGUSTA, GA. (WTXL) A man who spent 23 years in prison for a murder at fast-food restaurant in Adel, Georgia was released from prison. When a 22-year-old dancer goes missing, the men of the neighboring town who frequented the club become the suspect pool. Im glad I get to finally go home, and Im grateful to everyone who helped make that possible., Mistaken Eyewitness Identification Of the four critical States witnesses against Devonia, three have recanted their testimony saying they were pressured or coerced by police. When police arrived, there was a large crowd fleeing the area. The GBI said that a Cook County grand jury indicted Dashay Antwan March, 28, Ra-Shay Marquez March, 23, and Taurian Javon Wetrz, 23, for the murder of Whitehead and aggravated assault on Deshone Pierce. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. She was almost immediately accosted and killed. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. Some parts 2023 Advameg, Inc. Crime rate in Adel, Georgia (GA): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map. Now a superior court judge in Chattooga County has filed an order saying she Then a newspaper carrier came forward to finger Devonia as the murderer, but her testimony changed. Law enforcement investigating possible shooting on I-10 near north Monroe, Remains recently found in St. Marks Refuge confirmed to be missing Tallahassee father, One person injured in Lake Bradford Road shooting, Collision closes lanes on North Monroe Street, Parents and teachers concerned about state of Gadsden County school district, [email protected] - (843) 402-5555. By Editor | February 28, 2023 | 0. Use at your own risk. State of Georgia government websites and email systems use georgia.gov or ga.gov at the end of the address. How you know. WebSUMMERVILLE In 2001, Devonia Tyrone Inman was convicted of killing a woman in Adel. WebBack in 1998, Donna Brown, a manager at the Taco Bell in tiny Adel, Georgia, was murdered in the parking lot after closing up for the night. ADEL, Ga. (WALB) - Three people have been indicted in the 2019 death of Emmanuel Whitehead, 18, in Adel, according to a press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). 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