In the late hours of a March evening in Statesboro, Georgia, a tragic event unfolded that cut short the life of a young man. Deniro Arness Smith, a 22-year-old African American male, was in the parking lot of the Grove Apartments on Brampton Avenue on March 9, 2017, when an encounter turned deadly. The Statesboro Police Department received reports of shots fired just before 11 p.m. and, upon their arrival, they discovered Smith suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite the efforts of emergency responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence. The evidence pointed to a drug transaction that had gone awry, leading to the fatal altercation. In the days that followed, the Statesboro Police Department, with assistance from the District Attorney's Office, worked to identify those responsible for Smith's death. Their investigation led them to three individuals who they believed were involved in the incident that transpired that night.
The first two arrests were made on March 17, 2017. Jaden Thinh Le, a 20-year-old from Lawrenceville, was taken into custody and charged with felony murder. Alongside him, 24-year-old Michael Jay Williams of Rincon was arrested on charges of obstructing a law enforcement officer and providing false information to the authorities. The investigation continued to unfold, and soon after, a third suspect was apprehended. Jaime Francisco Perez, 22, of Statesboro, was also charged with felony murder in connection with the shooting. All three men were subsequently held at the Bulloch County Jail without bond as the investigation into the death of Deniro Smith continued, with the possibility of additional charges being filed.
