In the summer of 2021, a gathering of the Insane Crips street gang in Columbus, Georgia, turned deadly, claiming the life of one of its own members. Marcel Ernst Antoine Samedi, a 21-year-old African American male, traveled from his home in Rock Hill, South Carolina, to attend what was referred to as a 'C Call' on June 5, 2021. The meeting took place at the Wilson Apartment Complex, where a violent altercation erupted among the attendees.
That evening, at approximately 9:47 p.m., police
responded to reports of a shooting in the 3000 block of 8th Avenue. Upon their arrival, they discovered Samedi lying on the ground, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the temple. The ensuing investigation, a collaborative effort between the Columbus Police Department, the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Gang Task Force, would unravel the events that led to the young man's death.
The investigation identified three fellow members of the Insane Crips as the perpetrators: Davion Dupas, known as 'Yungdemon Dee,' Jaheim Davis, also known as 'Zhg Jah,' and Corey Troupe, Jr., who went by 'Lil Pop.' Evidence presented during the subsequent trial revealed that Dupas, Davis, and Troupe had opened fire at the apartment building where the gang had gathered. In the days following the shooting, Dupas was reportedly attempting to sell a firearm that matched the ballistics of the bullet that killed Samedi.
The legal process culminated in a three-week trial in Muscogee County in February 2024. The jury found Davion Dupas guilty of felony murder, violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, and criminal damage to property in the first degree. Jaheim Davis was convicted on two counts of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and criminal damage to property in the first degree. Corey Troupe, Jr. was found guilty of one count of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. Their sentencing was scheduled for April 18, 2024.
