In the early morning hours of January 3, 2019, the lives of two childhood friends were tragically cut short in what would become the first two homicides of the year for the city of Atlanta. Quinton Porter, a 35-year-old African American man, and his friend, Frederick Parker, were discovered shot to death inside a maroon SUV on Lee Street in the city's southwest.
The scene was one of chaos and raw emotion, as a crowd of around 100 people gathered, leading to a tense atmosphere where a fight eventually broke out among family and friends overcome with grief.
Investigators quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence, believing that Porter and Parker were the intended targets. It was reported that Porter had a reputation for carrying substantial amounts of cash, often more than $100,000, and on the night of the murders, he and Parker had been out on the town. This fact led investigators to believe that an attempted robbery was the motive behind the fatal shooting.
The investigation soon focused on two acquaintances of the victims, Johnathan Pittman and Carlos White. According to the Fulton County District Attorney's office, Pittman was identified as the shooter who exited a white Toyota Camry and opened fire on the SUV occupied by Porter and Parker before searching the vehicle. White was identified as the getaway driver. Shortly after the incident, Carlos White was arrested and charged with murder, and he was held in the Fulton County Jail without bond.
Four years after the killings, both Johnathan Pittman and Carlos White pleaded guilty to their roles in the crime, bringing a close to the case. Pittman entered a guilty plea to charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. White, maintaining that he was unaware of the murders until after they had occurred, entered an Alford plea, acknowledging it was in his best interest to plead guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea agreements were reached after consultation with the victims' families, who had differing opinions on the sentences but ultimately found a sense of closure with the convictions.
