In the winter of 2015, the life of 17-year-old Rocquan Kemon Scarver was tragically cut short on the streets of Savannah, Georgia. On the evening of December 10th, gunshots rang out near the intersection of 39th and Burroughs streets. When authorities arrived, they found the young male with gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Memorial University Medical Center, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced deceased.
The investigation into the shooting led Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department detectives to identify a suspect. In early March of the following year, law enforcement, including the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service, located and arrested 37-year-old Karonta Shamone Morrell. Shortly after his arrest, a Chatham County Grand Jury handed down an indictment, formally charging Morrell with the murder of Rocquan Scarver.
Morrell was also implicated and indicted in a separate fatal shooting that claimed the life of another man. In the case of Rocquan Scarver's death, Karonta Morrell was tried before a jury and subsequently convicted on all charges related to the murder. Following his conviction, Morrell attempted to appeal the verdict, arguing against the admission of certain evidence during his trial. However, the Georgia Supreme Court ultimately affirmed the trial court's decision, upholding his conviction for the murder of the teenager.
