Cierra Ford, a 25-year-old female student at Clark Atlanta University, was tragically killed on November 25, 2016, in a shooting at a townhome in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Ford, who was remembered by her brother as intelligent, charismatic, and having a vibrant sense of humor, was a communications major with dreams of becoming a journalist or radio host.
Having previously earned an associate's degree, she was excelling in her studies at the historically Black university and was on a path to restoring her life after facing some challenges in her past.
On that fateful day, Ford was with her boyfriend, Tyrique Lobban, when several men broke into the apartment. The incident was not a random act of violence, but rather stemmed from an internal dispute within a New York-based gang. Lobban, a leader in the gang, was the intended target of the attack, which was orchestrated by other members seeking to remove him from his position. The assailants first encountered Lobban's roommate, Jabar Brady, whom they allowed to leave unharmed. They then forced their way into the upstairs bedroom where they found Ford and Lobban in bed. Cierra Ford was shot in the head and died at the scene, while her boyfriend was shot three times and sustained critical injuries but survived.
In the wake of the murder, an investigation led to the identification of four suspects, all from New York. Three of the men, 24-year-old Joseph Clarke, 22-year-old Devin Kingdom, and 19-year-old Malik Ortiz, were apprehended in Florida on December 6, 2016, by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. A fourth suspect, Gregory Battle, remained at large. The subsequent legal proceedings brought some measure of justice for Cierra's family.
Devin Kingdom was the first to face trial and was convicted of murder, first-degree home invasion, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, first-degree burglary, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years. In a separate trial, Malik Ortiz was acquitted of the homicide charge, though the jury could not reach a verdict on twelve other counts. The case against Joseph Clarke was still awaiting trial. Adding another tragic layer to the case, a key witness for the prosecution, Jabar Brady, the roommate who was spared during the initial home invasion, died by suicide in New York shortly before the trials were set to begin.
