In the pre-dawn hours of October 20, 2020, a tragedy unfolded in the parking lot of a Goodwill donation center on Collier Road in Atlanta, Georgia, forever altering the lives of those involved. Lawrence L. Denney, a 73-year-old male, had driven to the location with the simple intention of donating books. It was a routine act of charity that placed him in the path of a violent crime.
As he was outside his vehicle, he was shot multiple times in what investigators would later describe as a carjacking gone wrong.
Officers responded to a 911 call reporting gunfire in the area around 3:30 a.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered Mr. Denney's body in the parking lot. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. The initial investigation pointed towards a carjacking, as his vehicle was missing from the scene. A witness at a nearby convenience store reported seeing two or three cars leaving the Goodwill parking lot shortly after the sound of gunfire, providing an early lead for law enforcement. The Atlanta Police Department's homicide unit began combing through surveillance footage from the Goodwill and surrounding businesses, hoping to piece together the events that led to the senseless killing.
The investigation led police to identify two suspects: Leandre Pittman and Antonio Sanders. Sanders was already in custody at the Fulton County Jail on nearly 30 other unrelated charges when he was charged with the murder and hijacking of a motor vehicle in connection with Denney's death. Denney's stolen vehicle was later found at an apartment complex known to be the territory of the 5275 Slimegang Young Crew, a gang with which both Pittman and Sanders were affiliated. Cell phone records and data from license plate readers placed both suspects at the scene of the crime.
In April 2024, a Fulton County jury found both Leandre Pittman and Antonio Sanders guilty of the murder of Lawrence Denney, who was also a Vietnam War veteran. The prosecution detailed how the two men were breaking into and stealing cars in the parking lot when Denney interrupted them as they were attempting to steal his car. It was at this point that they opened fire, killing him. For their crimes, including gang activity, felony murder, aggravated assault, hijacking a motor vehicle, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, both Pittman and Sanders were sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 25 consecutive years.
