In a heartbreaking turn of events, a father and his young son were found deceased in Columbus, Georgia, leaving a family and community in mourning. Joseph Banks, a 41-year-old African American male, and his three-year-old son, Ja'Ceiden Banks, were discovered shot inside a truck on Stuart Drive on November 27, 2018. The two were last seen leaving the Colony Inn on Victory Drive in the truck.
Joseph was in the driver's seat, with his young son in the middle.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to identify Antonio “Tony” Benard Willis as the suspect. He was reportedly in the passenger seat of the truck when they were last seen. Ballistic analysis of the six 9-millimeter shell casings found inside the truck's cab indicated the shots were fired from the passenger side. Further evidence emerged when witnesses reported that Willis had attempted to sell a weapon similar to the one used in the killings shortly after the incident.
Following the tragic event, Willis fled the Columbus area. He was later located and apprehended in Atlanta on charges unrelated to the murders. Despite not confessing to the killings during a lengthy six-hour police interview, the substantial circumstantial evidence against him led to his arrest in connection with the deaths of Joseph and Ja'Ceiden Banks. The case was subsequently bound over to the Superior Court, with Willis being held without bond as the legal proceedings against him commenced. The loss has had a profound and lasting impact on the Banks family.
