In the early morning hours of August 2, 2018, the life of 27-year-old Kemar Hawkins was tragically cut short in what was determined to be a fatal home invasion in Snellville, Georgia. The male victim was discovered with a gunshot wound inside his residence on Grand Manor Trail. Emergency services were called to the scene around 4:15 a.m. and rushed Hawkins to a local hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The initial investigation by Gwinnett County police was perplexing, with no immediate leads. However, details provided by family members, including Hawkins' brother who was asleep in the house at the time, quickly shifted the focus to a home invasion. The brother recounted being awakened by the sound of the back door being kicked in, followed shortly by the sound of gunshots. Investigators later determined the intruder had gained entry by prying the screen off an open window.
The investigation into Kemar Hawkins' murder led police to identify 32-year-old Terrence Darnell Lee of Conyers as a suspect. A crucial piece of evidence was private security camera footage that captured a red Dodge Journey leaving the area shortly after the murder; a vehicle to which Lee had access. Lee was already on the radar of law enforcement and had an outstanding warrant for a probation violation. He was arrested on August 9, 2018, and initially held on the outstanding warrant. As the investigation progressed, evidence mounted linking Lee not only to the murder of Hawkins but also to a string of other crimes. Police discovered that this was not an isolated incident, but rather the tragic culmination of a series of home invasions allegedly perpetrated by Lee in the same neighborhood and surrounding areas, including another on Grand Manor Trail just days prior.
Terrence Darnell Lee was formally charged on August 14, 2018, with a multitude of offenses related to the death of Kemar Hawkins and other crimes. The charges included felony murder, aggravated assault, home invasion, and use of a firearm by a convicted felon. In November 2018, a grand jury indicted Lee on 48 charges connected to multiple home invasions. It was revealed during a hearing that Lee's method of operation was to stake out a QuikTrip gas station and follow his victims home. After a mistrial in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lee's second trial took place in April 2022. The jury found him guilty on all counts. The court sentenced Terrence Darnell Lee to nine life sentences plus an additional 175 years in prison for the murder of Kemar Hawkins and the associated crime spree. His subsequent appeal was denied, and the Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed his convictions.
