In the late summer evening of August 20, 2021, the life of 25-year-old Robert Bankston Jr. was tragically cut short on Sells Avenue in southwest Atlanta. He and his 35-year-old sister, Cedrika Smith, were discovered inside a vehicle, both having sustained fatal gunshot wounds. First responders were called to the scene around 8:45 p.m., where they pronounced both siblings dead.
The incident, which police described as 'not random' and 'targeted,' was believed to have stemmed from a dispute that escalated into deadly violence.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly led authorities to a single suspect. LaMorris Willie Godfrey, who was 35 years old at the time, was identified as the individual responsible for the deaths of Robert and his sister. Further investigation revealed that Godfrey was Cedrika Smith's boyfriend. The nature of the dispute that preceded the shooting has not been publicly detailed, but it concluded with the loss of two lives and a family left to mourn an unimaginable tragedy. Family and friends gathered to remember the siblings, setting up a memorial with candles and pictures on the porch of a house on Sells Avenue.
In connection with the deaths of Robert Bankston Jr. and Cedrika Smith, LaMorris Godfrey was arrested and faced multiple charges, including two counts of murder. He was also charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Following his arrest, Godfrey was held in the Fulton County Jail without bond. The family of the slain siblings has been left to navigate the aftermath of this violent event, remembering a young man and his sister who were taken from them.
