In a tragic turn of events on a September afternoon in Macon, Georgia, a planned drug transaction escalated into a fatal robbery, claiming the life of 32-year-old Rollie Bowden Vaughn, III. The incident unfolded on September 15, 2016, in the backyard of a residence on Bethune Avenue. Vaughn was with his uncle when two men arrived in a late-model red car.
The two men, later identified as Jarodney M. Newberry and Rashad Deangelo Brown, entered the backyard with the initial intention of purchasing marijuana from Vaughn. However, the situation quickly deteriorated as it became apparent that Newberry and Brown intended to rob him. An argument ensued, during which Brown brandished a firearm. In the ensuing struggle over the weapon, Vaughn was shot twice. Bibb County deputies were dispatched to the scene shortly after 2 p.m. and found Vaughn on the ground outside the house. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries around 3:20 p.m.
Witnesses at the scene provided crucial information to law enforcement, enabling them to begin a search for the two suspects and their vehicle. The investigation was further aided when a woman came forward, reporting that men matching the suspects' descriptions and vehicle had been involved in a similar armed robbery connected to a drug deal in Clayton County just days prior.
Ultimately, Jarodney M. Newberry, then 24, and Rashad Deangelo Brown, then 21, were apprehended. In February 2019, both men pleaded guilty to charges of armed robbery and voluntary manslaughter. They were each sentenced to serve 30 years in prison, with the first 20 years to be served without the possibility of parole. The District Attorney, David Cooke, commented on the senselessness of the crime, stating, 'A bag of marijuana cost Mr. Vaughn his life and Mr. Newberry and Mr. Brown their freedom.'
