In April 2021, a domestic dispute in a Newnan, Georgia, apartment escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 25-year-old Carlesha D. Wells. A mother of two young children, Wells was at the Neal Street apartment of her boyfriend, Marcus Strozier Jr., when an argument between the two turned violent. The conflict, reportedly fueled by allegations of infidelity, moved from outside to inside the residence.
At some point during the heated exchange, Strozier produced a handgun and shot Wells in the chest at close range. The force of the shot caused her to fall backward out of the apartment and into the front yard. Strozier then fled the scene before law enforcement could arrive. Emergency services found Wells unresponsive and transported her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Investigators confirmed that Wells was unarmed at the time of the shooting.
Hours after the incident, Marcus Strozier Jr. turned himself in to the Newnan Police Department. He was subsequently arrested and charged with murder. During his trial, Strozier’s defense argued that the firearm had discharged accidentally and that he had not intended to kill his girlfriend. However, the jury found him guilty of murder.
In April 2023, Marcus Strozier Jr. was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Carlesha Wells. The jury, however, was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on an additional charge of aggravated assault with a firearm, resulting in a mistrial for that specific count.
