In January of 2019, the life of 18-year-old Malenko Cooley was tragically cut short in a series of events that began in Newnan, Georgia. On January 20th, Cooley, a male who had been reported missing from Valley, Alabama, accompanied 19-year-old Marquavious Harris to the Newnan Crossing Apartments. Their purpose at the apartment complex was to ask a resident to hold a gun for them. However, the situation quickly escalated.
The resident of the apartment told police he felt as though the pair intended to rob him, leading to a physical altercation with Cooley in the hallway.
During the struggle between Cooley and the resident, Marquavious Harris reportedly brandished a pistol and opened fire on the resident, striking him multiple times in the abdomen. In the chaos of the gunfire, Cooley, who had fallen on top of the resident, got up and fled the scene with Harris. A Kia registered to a relative of Cooley's was seen leaving the area and heading south on I-85. The wounded resident managed to call 911 for help and was subsequently transported to an Atlanta hospital where he underwent several medical procedures and began his recovery.
Two days later, on January 22nd, the search for the missing teenager came to a grim conclusion. Law enforcement in LaGrange, Georgia, located an abandoned car on Spring Street. Inside the vehicle, they discovered the body of Malenko Cooley in the backseat; he had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to his upper torso. Later that same day, Marquavious Harris turned himself into the LaGrange Police Department, admitting his involvement in Cooley's death.
Following his surrender, Harris was taken into custody and held at the Troup County Jail, initially on charges of concealing the death of another. The Newnan Police Department, however, moved forward with securing warrants against Harris for a litany of more serious offenses, including murder, aggravated assault, and armed robbery in connection with the violent events that transpired at the Newnan apartment complex and resulted in the death of Malenko Cooley.
