Jaseramie Dion 'JD' Ferguson, a 25-year-old man, was working as a loss prevention officer at a Walmart in Lilburn, Georgia, on the evening of April 10, 2016. Aspiring to become a police officer, he was dedicated to his job, which he took to support his wife and three young children. That night, his commitment to his role would have a fatal consequence.
Shortly before 9 p.m., Ferguson observed a man attempting to leave the store with a shopping cart containing three unpaid-for flat-screen televisions. Alongside another employee, he confronted the individual just past the first set of exit doors. A physical struggle ensued as they tried to detain the suspected shoplifter. In the midst of the altercation, the suspect pulled out a pistol and fired, striking Ferguson. The gunman then fled the scene in an older model, dark red four-door sedan without the merchandise. Ferguson was rushed to a nearby medical center, but he succumbed to his injuries.
The Lilburn Police Department quickly launched an investigation, releasing surveillance images of the suspect and the vehicle to the public. Within a short period, investigators received numerous tips that led them to identify the suspect as 37-year-old Boaz Anthony Fordyce. Less than 48 hours after the shooting, Fordyce was located in Doraville and taken into custody without incident by a joint effort of the Lilburn and DeKalb County Police Departments. Authorities noted that Fordyce did not have a significant criminal history, which made his violent reaction to being stopped for shoplifting particularly baffling to them.
Boaz Anthony Fordyce was charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, and felony theft by shoplifting. In December of 2017, he pleaded guilty to malice murder, two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, one count of felony theft by shoplifting, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. His guilty plea resulted in a sentence of life in prison. The resolution of the case brought a measure of closure to Ferguson's grieving family, who remembered him as a loving husband and father with a strong faith.
