In the early morning hours of May 6, 2022, the body of 29-year-old male Lennal John Dasher was discovered by a passerby on James Drive in Baxley, Georgia. It was apparent that he had succumbed to a gunshot wound. An investigation by the Baxley Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was promptly launched to uncover the circumstances surrounding his death.
The investigation revealed that the events leading to Dasher's death began at a party on Warrick Lane.
An argument erupted between Dasher and Shavutea Nails, the girlfriend of Ronnie 'RJ' May, Jr. Witnesses at the party reported seeing May attempt to get a firearm from his vehicle, but he was stopped by the homeowner who urged him not to make a decision he would regret and encouraged Dasher to walk away to de-escalate the situation. Dasher then left the party with another individual and went to a nearby park. A short time later, May arrived at the park and picked up Dasher in his vehicle. Another person, DeShawd Smith, was also in the car.
May drove to a secluded, rural area on James Drive, where he, Dasher, and Smith exited the vehicle and walked down a dirt road. It was there that May shot Dasher in the back of the head with a. 22 caliber firearm. To ensure Dasher was dead, May used the flashlight on his phone and, seeing Dasher's eyes were still moving, shot him a second time in the face. May then retrieved the spent shell casing from the scene before leaving with Smith.
On May 17, 2022, authorities arrested Ronnie “RJ” May, age 29 at the time, of Sandersville, Georgia. He was charged with Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Tampering with Evidence. After a four-day trial in October 2023, an Appling County jury took only 45 minutes to find Ronnie May Jr., then 30, guilty of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony. The case, which the prosecuting attorney described as the 'senseless, brutal murder' of Lennal Dasher stemming from a 'trivial argument,' concluded with May facing a mandatory life sentence.
