In a tragic series of events that unfolded in Newnan, Georgia, Willie Edward Bussie III, a 39-year-old man, lost his life in what authorities have described as a killing spree. On the evening of November 5, 2020, police responded to a call of 'shots fired' on East Broad Street. Upon arrival, they discovered the bodies of Bussie and another man, 43-year-old Kevin Duane Robbins, both of whom had sustained fatal gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly expanded as more victims were discovered over the following days. Authorities identified 38-year-old Nicholas Martez Nelson as the primary suspect in the string of killings. Investigators believe Nelson's violent spree began with a home invasion where several guns were stolen. In the days that followed the deaths of Bussie and Robbins, four other individuals were found murdered in separate incidents. Warner Mandrel Parks, 39, was shot and killed in a parking lot on Dowdell Street. Three more victims, Tangela Molden, 32, Monte Ballard, 58, and Michael Lang, 37, were discovered in a room at a Motel 6.
The breakthrough in the case came when witnesses to Parks' murder provided a description of the shooter's vehicle, a gray Ford Crown Victoria. Police located the vehicle at a Red Roof Inn and subsequently took its owner, Nicholas Martez Nelson, into custody. Nelson was initially charged with the murder of Parks and, as the investigation progressed, was charged in connection with all six deaths. Law enforcement officials have indicated that Nelson knew his victims and that the killings are believed to be drug-related. The rapid succession of the homicides led authorities to classify Nelson as a 'spree killer' rather than a serial killer, due to the short time frame between the murders. The case has since been turned over to the district attorney's office for prosecution.
