In a heartbreaking turn of events on November 27, 2018, the body of 3-year-old JaCeiden Roberts, a Black male, was discovered alongside his father, 41-year-old Joseph "JoJo" Banks, in the driveway of a vacant house on Stuart Drive in Columbus, Georgia. A neighbor on their way to the store made the grim discovery at approximately 8:30 a.m. and immediately contacted the authorities.
Both father and son had been fatally shot, a violent end to their lives that left their family and the community in a state of shock and profound grief.
The subsequent investigation by the Columbus Police Department pieced together the last known hours of JaCeiden and his father. They were reportedly last seen at 1:00 a.m. on November 27th, getting into a white 2004 Ford F-150 pickup truck at a motel on Victory Drive. They were accompanied by an unidentified male, who was later believed to be the suspect. The truck was later found abandoned in the Wynnton neighborhood on Henry Avenue. For months, the case remained a painful mystery for their loved ones, who struggled to comprehend the senseless act of violence that had torn their family apart.
In May 2019, a significant development occurred in the case with the arrest of 37-year-old Antonio "Tony" Benard Willis. He was charged with two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of JaCeiden and his father. During a preliminary court hearing, a detective testified that surveillance footage from the motel showed Willis lifting the young boy into the front seat of the pickup truck to sit between himself and his father, who was driving. The detective stated that Willis shot both of them, leaving behind six shell casings in the cab of the truck. Authorities believe the shooting occurred at the motel before the bodies were moved to the location where they were later found. Despite the arrest, a clear motive for the slayings was not immediately established. The case was eventually sent to the Muscogee Superior Court for further legal proceedings.
