In a case that drew significant attention, the life of a promising university student was tragically cut short, leading to a thorough investigation and the eventual conviction of her boyfriend. The victim was a 23-year-old student at Fort Valley State University. Her disappearance on Valentine's Day in 2020 sparked a frantic search that ended in heartbreak.
The young woman was last seen at the home of her boyfriend, DeMarcus Little.
After she was reported missing, a multi-agency task force was formed to investigate her disappearance. Tragically, her body was discovered a few days later in a wooded area in Crawford County. An autopsy later confirmed that her death was a homicide caused by strangulation.
Suspicion quickly fell upon DeMarcus Little, who was identified as a person of interest early in the investigation. Authorities arrested him shortly after his girlfriend's body was found, initially on charges related to damaging her property. These charges stemmed from an incident that occurred just days before her disappearance, where he had allegedly thrown a brick through her apartment window and slashed her tires.
As the investigation progressed, enough evidence was gathered to charge Little with malice murder. A friend of Little's, Jaivon Abron, was also arrested and charged with concealing a death and making false statements to investigators. Prosecutors laid out a case depicting a tumultuous relationship between Little and the victim. On the night of her death, after leaving a party together, an argument reportedly ensued at the home of Little's aunt. It was there that prosecutors say Little strangled his girlfriend.
During the trial, Little's friend, Jaivon Abron, testified that Little had confessed to the killing. He recounted that Little admitted to 'blacking out' and hitting her before dumping her body in the woods. The prosecution also presented evidence of odd text messages sent from the victim's phone after she was already deceased, in what they believe was an attempt by Little to create a false trail.
After a week-long trial and several hours of deliberation, the jury found DeMarcus Little guilty of felony murder and aggravated assault. He was, however, found not guilty of malice murder. The judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
