On a summer night in June 2021, 18-year-old Saiveon Pugh was killed in a hail of gunfire in Columbus, Georgia. The shooting, which took place on June 14, 2021, at the Wilson Apartment complex, also claimed the life of 17-year-old Jesse Ransom and left two other teenagers wounded. The four victims were inside a small silver sedan driven by Ransom when they were ambushed.
Surveillance footage from the area showed the teenagers' car driving past a house across the street from the apartment complex multiple times. The occupants of that house, later identified as Rodderick Glanton, Homer Upshaw, and Terrance Upshaw, were members of the Marlo Gang. After the car's first pass, the three men took notice. By the third pass, they had moved into shooting positions, and on the fourth pass, they opened fire on the vehicle. The barrage of bullets continued even after the car had wrecked and it was clear that the occupants had been hit. Investigators found over 60 shell casings at the scene and confirmed that no shots were fired from the victims' car. Pugh, who was seated behind Ransom, died from gunshot wounds to his head and extremities.
The investigation, a joint effort by the Columbus Police Department, the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Gang Task Force, led to the arrest of Glanton, Homer Upshaw, and Terrance Upshaw. The three men were indicted on a total of 24 counts, including Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
Following an 11-day trial, a Muscogee County jury found all three defendants guilty on all counts on November 14, 2023. On November 29, 2023, the sentences were handed down. Rodderick Glanton and Terrance Upshaw were each sentenced to life in prison plus 25 years. Homer Upshaw received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 25 years. An appeal by the defendants was later denied, and the Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed all convictions and sentences.
