In the late summer of 2015, the life of 19-year-old Carnell Saintville was tragically cut short in Cordele, Georgia. On Sunday, September 6, 2015, the young man, known for his vibrant personality and enjoyment of laughter and travel, was fatally shot. Saintville, a former student of Amos P. Godby High School in Tallahassee, Florida, where he was an active member of the Airforce JROTC, had his life abruptly ended by gun violence.
The investigation into his death, conducted by the Cordele
Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, uncovered a check-cashing scheme that involved Saintville and others. It was revealed that when the checks failed to clear, a group of individuals traveled from Tampa, Florida, to Cordele. They lured Saintville from his home and opened fire on his vehicle. Saintville was struck and died shortly thereafter from the gunshot wound. Fortunately, a passenger in the vehicle with him narrowly escaped injury.
The investigation led to the identification of George Richardson, a 29-year-old from Tampa, Florida, as a primary suspect. In October 2021, Richardson was tried in the Crisp County Superior Court for his role in the murder. A jury found him guilty of malice murder and aggravated assault on the second victim in the car. Due to three prior felony convictions, Richardson was sentenced as a recidivist.
On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, Judge Christopher Hughes sentenced George Richardson to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Carnell Saintville. He received an additional twenty years, also without the possibility of parole, for the aggravated assault charge. The sentencing brought a close to a lengthy investigation and legal process, delivering justice for the untimely death of the young man.
