Pamela Yvonne Harmon, a 57-year-old African American woman, was tragically killed on the morning of September 29, 2015, in Conyers, Georgia. A dedicated Army veteran, wife, and mother to two adult children, she was also raising her two young nephews. Harmon was a long-time employee of the Goodwill Donation Center on Highway 20 and Oglesby Bridge Road, where she was shot and killed in the parking lot as she arrived to open the store.
The investigation quickly identified her killer as 28-year-old Brandon Lamar Johnson, a former co-worker. The motive for the shooting appeared to be an act of revenge. Harmon had previously filed a complaint against Johnson, which resulted in his transfer to a different Goodwill location. This transfer is believed to have fueled Johnson's anger, leading to the fatal encounter. After the shooting, Johnson fled the scene, sparking a multi-state manhunt.
Later that same day, the search for Johnson came to a violent end. West Virginia State Troopers located and pursued Johnson's vehicle. During a traffic stop, Johnson exited his car and pointed a gun at the troopers, who then fatally shot him. Due to Johnson's death, the case never proceeded to a trial. The incident left Harmon's family and the Conyers community in mourning, highlighting the devastating impact of workplace grievances escalating to violence. In the wake of her death, a GoFundMe page was established to assist her family with funeral expenses, and community members left flowers at the Goodwill store to honor her memory.
