In the late hours of a January night in Augusta, Georgia, the body of 19-year-old Johndrick Oliphant was discovered lying on Stone Road near Travis Road. It was around 10:30 p.m. on January 28, 2022, when authorities found the young man, who had been shot at least once. An autopsy was scheduled to be performed at the GBI Lab in Atlanta to determine the exact cause of death.
The investigation into the shooting death of the Black male teenager led Richmond County authorities to a suspect
the following month. On February 22, 2022, 29-year-old James Marquis Leverett of Augusta was taken into custody and charged with Oliphant's murder. Investigators did not immediately release details about a potential motive or what led them to suspect Leverett in the homicide.
In a tragic turn of events, it was revealed that just five days before his own death, a warrant had been issued for Johndrick Oliphant's arrest. He was wanted in connection with the murder of another individual, Khalil Baker. The circumstances surrounding both homicides and the connection between them, if any, were not made public at the time of Leverett's arrest. The investigation into Oliphant's death was reported to be ongoing.
