In the early morning hours of July 22, 2019, in the Arco area of Brunswick, Georgia, a series of events unfolded that would end the life of 35-year-old Antonio Randolph, an African American father of three. Randolph, who had a history of struggles with drug addiction, was fatally shot multiple times from behind in front of his mother's home on Emanuel Avenue. His body was not discovered until approximately 8:30 a.m. that morning when police responded to a report of a person shot and found him deceased in a yard. Investigators believe the shooting occurred much earlier in the day when they had received a call about gunshots in the area.
The investigation into Randolph's death, led by the Glynn County Police Department, soon focused on two teenage brothers, Ethan Bennett, 17, and Everett Bennett, 18, along with another individual named Travis Kates. The motive for the killing appeared to be rooted in the brothers' anger towards Randolph, whom they blamed for their mother's own struggles with addiction. Text messages and witness statements revealed that the Bennett brothers held Randolph responsible and had expressed their intent to harm him. On the day of the shooting, the three suspects were seen in the Arco neighborhood multiple times in a vehicle belonging to Everett Bennett's girlfriend, interacting with their mother in the hours leading up to the fatal encounter.
A neighbor's security camera partially captured the tragic event, showing Randolph crossing the street from his mother's house and coming into contact with at least one person. The footage then showed him running back towards his mother's home as at least one shot was fired at him. In total, Randolph was shot four times. Following the shooting, the three suspects met up with Everett Bennett's girlfriend and asked her to take them to different locations. Though initially uncooperative, the girlfriend later admitted to police that Everett had told her 'something happened to his mother's boyfriend' within an hour of the shooting, before Randolph's body had been officially discovered.
Within days, law enforcement arrested Ethan and Everett Bennett on murder charges. Travis Kates was also taken into custody. The subsequent legal proceedings brought the full story to light. Ethan Bennett was the first to be tried, and on February 3, 2022, a jury found him guilty of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, simple battery, and gun charges. He faced a mandatory life sentence. Shortly after, in a separate trial that concluded on March 3, 2022, his brother Everett Bennett and Travis Kates were also convicted of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and firearm possession charges. The convictions brought a sense of justice to Antonio Randolph's grieving family, which included his three young children, who were left without a father.
