In a senseless act of violence that shattered a quiet evening in Duluth, Georgia, 40-year-old Charles Brown Tyree was shot and killed on January 22, 2017. He and another man, 51-year-old Michael Liberty, had gone to a home on Hopkins Mill Lane to help a friend, David Jones, fix a car. What began as a friendly visit turned into a double homicide, leaving a community in shock and two families mourning their loved ones.
While the men were in the garage, David Jones's 24-year-old son, Davon Dayron Jones, entered and engaged them in conversation. Without any apparent motive or argument, Davon Jones pulled out a handgun and fired two shots, striking both Tyree and Liberty in the head. Tyree died at the scene, while Liberty was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Jones fled after the shooting but was turned in to the police by his own father the following morning. He was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
During the investigation and subsequent trial, Davon Jones claimed the shooting was accidental. His aunt testified that the men were 'gun enthusiasts' and that the gun had gone off accidentally while Jones was showing it to them. However, prosecutors presented evidence that Jones was very familiar with firearms, had taken gun safety classes, and that the trajectory of the bullets was inconsistent with an accidental discharge. They also highlighted numerous inconsistent statements made by Jones regarding the incident. Despite the lack of a clear motive, the prosecution argued that the act was intentional.
In April 2018, after a seven-day trial and about six hours of deliberation, a jury found Davon Jones guilty. He was convicted of the felony murder of both Charles Tyree and Michael Liberty, as well as the malice murder of Liberty. He was acquitted of the malice murder charge in Tyree's death. The court sentenced Davon Jones for his crimes, bringing a close to the legal proceedings in the tragic and seemingly inexplicable deaths of two friends who were simply trying to help another.
