In the early moments of a Wednesday morning in Atlanta, Georgia, the life of 40-year-old former boxing champion O'Neil Bell, a Black male, was tragically cut short. On November 25, 2015, Bell had just stepped off a MARTA bus when he was caught in the midst of a violent robbery. The assailants, after robbing another man who had also disembarked from the bus, turned their attention to Bell. In the ensuing confrontation, Bell was shot and killed.
Another man was also shot during the incident but survived his injuries. The perpetrators fled the scene in a stolen PT Cruiser.
The investigation into the senseless killing of the former undisputed cruiserweight champion led Atlanta police to identify four suspects connected to a string of crimes that evening. The individuals believed to be involved were part of a crime spree that included other armed robberies and a carjacking. A Crime Stoppers tip proved crucial in leading law enforcement to their first suspect.
Within weeks of the murder, authorities made several arrests. Tycorion Davis, then 18, was taken into custody and charged with murder, with police identifying him as the one who pulled the trigger. Another man, 19-year-old Quintavis Robinson, was also arrested and charged with murder and armed robbery after he confessed to his role in the robberies leading up to the homicide. A third individual, 16-year-old Cortez Williams, was apprehended and charged as an adult for his involvement in the preceding crime spree. The stolen vehicle used during the commission of the crimes was also recovered by the police.
In July 2019, two of the men responsible for O'Neil Bell's death were brought to justice. Tycorion Davis and Quintavius Robinson both pleaded guilty to their roles in the murder and the violent crime spree. Their admissions were reportedly driven by a desire to elevate their status within a criminal street gang. As a result of their guilty pleas, Robinson was sentenced to 35 years in prison, while Davis received a sentence of 40 years, with 35 to be served in prison. Cortez Williams had earlier pleaded guilty to armed robbery for his part in the crime spree and was sentenced to serve eight years of a 15-year prison sentence.
