In the late hours of a Friday night in Port Wentworth, Georgia, a dispute between two groups of young women escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 24-year-old Dion Farmer. On August 12, 2022, Farmer had driven one of the groups to the Rice Creek subdivision clubhouse, where the confrontation was scheduled to take place. An argument ensued, and in the ensuing chaos, Farmer was shot in the back in the parking lot. Emergency services were called to the scene on Miller Park Circle around 11:49 p.m., but it was too late. Dion Farmer was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Port Wentworth Police Department quickly launched an investigation. Surveillance footage from the clubhouse captured the altercation and the fatal shooting, providing crucial evidence. Initially, authorities identified Desimond Zachery Xavier Butler as the primary suspect and released his description to the public, warning that he was considered armed and dangerous. Thanks to tips from the community, Butler was located and taken into custody without incident shortly after the shooting.
The investigation did not end with Butler's arrest. In the following months, the scope of the case widened, and in October 2022, a grand jury indicted four individuals in connection with Dion Farmer's murder: Desimond Butler, Jahaune Butler, Keroney King, and Michael Stevens. The indictment charged them with their involvement in the shooting that stemmed from the planned fight.
The legal process culminated in the convictions of Jahaune Butler and Keroney King in February 2025. A jury found both men guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. The trial featured the compelling surveillance footage and testimony from neighbors who heard the gunshots and witnessed the tragic aftermath in the clubhouse parking lot. A sentencing date for the convicted men is pending, with the possibility of life in prison without parole plus an additional ten years.
