In the late afternoon of September 5, 2016, a burst of violence on the 200 block of West 42nd Street in Savannah, Georgia, tragically cut short the life of 52-year-old Carey Von Moss. Moss, a male resident of Savannah, was in the company of another man, David Green, when shots rang out at approximately 3:45 p.m. Both men were struck by gunfire and immediately transported to Memorial University Medical Center for treatment. While Green, who was 35 at the time, survived his injuries, Moss succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department's Violent Crimes detectives quickly launched a homicide investigation. Eyewitnesses described a suspect as a Black male, estimated to be between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10, with an Afro hairstyle that was faded on the sides and wearing brown clothing. This individual was seen fleeing the scene in an older model black SUV, which was last observed traveling west on 41st Street. The initial stages of the investigation focused on gathering information from the public to identify the person or persons responsible for the fatal shooting.
Less than a month after the shooting, on October 4, 2016, a significant breakthrough occurred in the case. Acting on gathered intelligence, officers from the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police, in conjunction with the U.S. Marshal Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, located and apprehended a suspect. The individual, identified as 31-year-old Kenyatta Mitchell, was found hiding in the basement of a residence on the 500 block of East Park Avenue. Following his capture, Mitchell was charged with murder and aggravated assault in connection with the September 5th incident that claimed Carey Moss's life and wounded David Green.
The legal process that followed culminated in a jury trial in April 2021. After hearing the evidence presented, the jury found Kenyatta Mitchell guilty of the malice murder of Carey Von Moss. In addition to the murder conviction, he was also found guilty of the aggravated assault of Marcell Greene and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of these felonies. Consequently, Kenyatta Mitchell was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Carey Moss, with additional consecutive sentences for the firearm and aggravated assault charges. An appeal was later filed by Mitchell, which was ultimately denied, upholding the court's original verdict and sentence.
