In the fall of 2022, the life of 33-year-old Breana Marie Rogers was tragically cut short in a violent encounter. On the evening of October 7, 2022, Breana was with a man named Edward Rodley Smith Jr. at a hotel in Stone Mountain, Georgia. In an attempt to get away from him, she left the hotel. What followed was a harrowing pursuit that ended in her death. Within 30 minutes of leaving, Breana was shot four times—three times in the back and once in the back of her head.
The events unfolded on the side of Stone Mountain Highway, where multiple witnesses reported a domestic altercation involving Smith's BMW. One witness overheard Breana yell, 'I'm tired of this.' Soon after, more calls came in to 911 reporting a crash involving the same BMW and a man firing a gun. Breana's body was discovered next to the wrecked vehicle in the driveway of a construction site.
The shooter, identified as Edward Rodley Smith Jr., fled the scene, prompting a search by law enforcement. He was linked to the crime through the registration of the wrecked car. A few days later, Smith turned himself in to the Gwinnett County jail. He was subsequently charged with aggravated assault and felony murder.
During his trial, Smith claimed that he shot Breana in self-defense, alleging that he feared for his life when she reached for his wallet and that she had a gun. However, the jury rejected his account of the events. After a trial where prosecutors detailed the domestic nature of the dispute and Breana's attempt to escape, the jury found Edward Rodley Smith Jr. guilty of malice murder. The verdict was reached in approximately 90 minutes. Following his conviction in November 2025, a judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing a measure of closure to the family and friends of Breana Marie Rogers.
