In the early morning hours of February 7, 2016, the life of 21-year-old Tomas Baiul Colbert, an African American male, was tragically cut short in Toccoa, Georgia. Colbert, a former standout football and basketball player at Stephens County High School, was at an apartment on Falls Road when he was struck by multiple gunshots. Toccoa Police responded to a call of gunfire at approximately 6:20 a.m. and found Colbert conscious but suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was initially transported to Stephens County Hospital before being airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital in South Carolina, where he succumbed to his injuries. The investigation that followed indicated that the shooting was not a random act of violence.
More than a month passed with no arrests, though authorities stated they were following up on several leads. Then, on April 18, 2016, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of 35-year-old Marqkeela Lawain Hill of Douglasville in connection with Colbert's death. Hill was charged with one count of murder. The investigation continued, and eventually, a second suspect, William McElveen, was also implicated in the crime.
According to the grand jury indictment, the events leading to Colbert's death began with a fight at a party between McElveen and Colbert's uncle. After the altercation, McElveen allegedly contacted Hill. Cell phone records indicated communication between the two as Hill drove to Toccoa. The prosecution stated that in the early hours of February 7, multiple rounds were fired from a rifle into the apartment where Colbert was sleeping in a recliner. A text message from Hill to McElveen shortly after the shooting reportedly read, 'Game over.' In January 2017, both Hill and McElveen were indicted on charges including Malice Murder, Felony Murder, and Aggravated Assault.
In November 2018, the case reached a resolution, though not one that brought complete satisfaction to Colbert's grieving family. Marqkeela Hill and William McElveen pled guilty to lesser charges of Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The more severe charges of Malice Murder and Felony Murder were set aside due to what the district attorney described as circumstantial evidence and the lack of crucial hard evidence, such as the murder weapon. It was also noted that some witnesses had changed their stories multiple times. Both men were sentenced to 15 years in prison. While they offered condolences to Colbert's family in court, they did not admit to killing him. The plea deal was met with mixed emotions from Colbert's family, who expressed their profound loss and ongoing fear, feeling that full justice had not been served.
