In the early morning hours of June 7, 2015, the quiet parking lot of a Fayetteville, Georgia Applebee's became the scene of a senseless tragedy. Twenty-seven-year-old Gregory Smith, the night manager of the restaurant, was found deceased in his vehicle. His fiancée, concerned when he failed to return home from his shift, had driven to his workplace to check on him, only to make the devastating discovery around 6:30 a.m. Smith had been shot, a single bullet hole piercing the driver's side window of his car. Investigators found shell casings nearby, and it was determined that his cell phone and keys were missing.
The investigation into the murder of Gregory Smith soon focused on two individuals. Within a month, Fayetteville police announced the arrests of 24-year-old Greg Haney Jr. of Jonesboro and 25-year-old Ladarius Kawon Jackson of Hampton. A significant break in the case came from surveillance footage showing a Chevrolet Malibu near the restaurant around the time of the shooting. Public appeals for information about the vehicle generated numerous tips that ultimately led authorities to Haney and Jackson. It was revealed that Haney was a former employee of the same Applebee's, though he and Smith reportedly did not know each other. The motive for the crime appeared to be a tragically flawed robbery attempt. Investigators believe the suspects targeted Smith under the mistaken assumption that he would be carrying the restaurant's cash deposits.
The legal process brought the full story of the brutal crime to light. Both Haney and Jackson faced a slate of charges, including felony murder, malice murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault. Haney was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. During the trial, evidence presented included the damning surveillance footage and testimony that one of the suspect's own mother had come forward to implicate her son. The ex-girlfriend of one of the men also testified that he had confessed his involvement in the crime.
In May 2016, a Fayette County jury found both Greg Haney Jr. and Ledarious Jackson guilty on all counts. The following day, they were sentenced for their roles in the murder of Gregory Smith. Each man received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring they would not have the opportunity to inflict such pain on another family. The conviction brought a measure of closure to Smith's loved ones, who remembered him as a cherished family member, a fiancé, and a father to a 15-month-old daughter.
