In a tragic turn of events that began with an online transaction, 23-year-old Christopher Deshaun Wilson, an African American male from Conyers, Georgia, was fatally shot in Lithonia on January 20, 2017. The incident unfolded after Wilson and a friend arranged to purchase a handgun advertised on Instagram by an individual using the handle 'Slime Shank.' The seller was later identified as Sylvester Richardson.
After an initial plan to meet at Richardson's apartment complex, the location was changed to a nearby high school. Richardson, along with another individual, Cameron Webb, who he had enlisted to drive, met Wilson. The situation escalated, leading to Wilson being shot. He was later found by police on the side of a house on Browns Mill Lake Road with a gunshot wound to his stomach.
The investigation that followed led to the arrests of two teenagers. Sylvester Richardson, 18, of Lithonia, and Danny Vu, 19, of McDonough, were taken into custody in the months following the shooting. Both were subsequently charged with murder in connection with the attempted robbery and fatal shooting of Wilson. A witness reported seeing a black sedan with its lights off pull into the cul-de-sac where the incident occurred. According to the witness, at least seven individuals exited the vehicle and appeared to be attempting to break into a nearby house. The witness then heard four gunshots before the individuals fled in the same car.
In May 2017, a DeKalb County grand jury indicted Sylvester Richardson on multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. His trial took place in February 2018, where he was found guilty on all counts. Richardson was sentenced to life in prison for malice murder, a consecutive life sentence for armed robbery, and an additional five years for the firearm possession charge. He later appealed his conviction, citing errors by the trial court and ineffective assistance of counsel. However, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the conviction.
