In the summer of 2020, the life of 16-year-old Sincere Javier Estrada Lopez, an African American male, was tragically cut short on a Monday evening in Rome, Georgia. On June 1st, on Grady Avenue, Sincere was fatally shot. Despite the efforts of first responders, he was pronounced deceased by the coroner. The Rome Police Department immediately launched an investigation into the homicide. An autopsy was later conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Medical Examiner's Office to determine the precise cause of death.
The investigation led to the arrest of 16-year-old Jevion Andrez Benham on June 25, 2020. At the time of the shooting, Benham was 15 years old. He was taken into custody in Bartow County on unrelated charges earlier in June and was being held at the Youth Detention Center. Authorities decided to charge him as an adult for the murder of Sincere Lopez. Following his arrest for the homicide, Benham was scheduled for his first court appearance in Rome.
While awaiting trial for the murder of Sincere Lopez, a violent and tragic event occurred. In December 2025, Jevion Andrez Benham, then 21, was found deceased in his cell at Valdosta State Prison. His death was officially ruled a homicide, with the cause being strangulation. The primary suspect in his death was identified as his cellmate. According to reports, Benham's body may have been in the cell for up to two days before being discovered. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death was initiated, with his family retaining legal counsel to seek accountability.
