In the early morning hours of November 27, 2015, a gathering at a residence on Wilton Avenue in Tift County, Georgia, turned tragic, resulting in the death of 29-year-old Dexter Lampkin. Another man, Gregory Lampkin, who was 26 at the time, was also injured in the incident. Both men were attending a party when a shooting occurred at approximately 2:50 a.m. Dexter Lampkin, a male resident of Tifton, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The subsequent investigation, a joint effort by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Sylvester Regional Office and the Tift County Sheriff's Office, led to the arrests of three individuals on December 4, 2015. Devontae Carter, then 20 years old, was charged with Felony Murder and Aggravated Assault. Two other men, 22-year-old William Carter and 49-year-old Ralph Garmon, were arrested and charged with making false statements and writings in connection with the investigation. All three were booked into the Tift County Jail.
The events leading up to the shooting began at a Thanksgiving night party. Dexter Lampkin and his brother Jermaine, along with their cousin Gregory Lampkin, were present at the gathering. At some point, they noticed Ralph Garmon staring at them in a hostile manner. An altercation ensued after Dexter Lampkin approached Garmon to question his staring. Garmon reportedly struck Dexter, and Gregory Lampkin then pinned Garmon against a truck. It was at this point that Devontae Carter, who had been sitting in the truck bed, jumped down and opened fire.
Following a jury trial, Devontae Carter was convicted of the malice murder of Dexter Lampkin and the aggravated assault of Gregory Lampkin. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison for the murder charge, with an additional 12 years to be served consecutively for the aggravated assault. Carter later appealed his conviction, challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, but the Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed the trial court's judgment.
