On New Year's night in 2015, a sense of unease settled over the Reserve at Ivy Creek apartments in Buford, Georgia, as the sound of four to six gunshots shattered the evening's calm. Responding to a call, Gwinnett County police discovered the body of 22-year-old Reginald Bien-Aime slumped over in the driver's seat of his car in the back of the gated community. The driver's-side door was open, leaving a chilling tableau for investigators to decipher. While Bien-Aime did not reside in the complex, he was a familiar face to many in the area, known by local business owners as a 'cool guy' and a 'good kid' who was 'trouble free.'
The investigation into the shooting death of the young man, described as a male, quickly pointed toward a suspect. Gwinnett County Police identified Quindarius Keshun Morton, also known as 'Q,' as the individual they were seeking in connection with the homicide. A few days later, Morton turned himself into the Gwinnett County Detention Center. He was subsequently charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in the death of Reginald Bien-Aime.
As the legal proceedings began, a narrative of a drug deal gone awry emerged as the backdrop to the fatal encounter. Morton's attorney claimed that his client acted in self-defense, alleging that Bien-Aime was the initial aggressor and had drawn a weapon while stating, 'Don't move.' According to the defense, Morton was in the backseat of the car at the time of the shooting and was unaware that a drug transaction was about to occur. Following a preliminary hearing, the case was sent to Superior Court, and Morton remained in jail. Police indicated at the time that the investigation was ongoing and that additional warrants against other individuals could be forthcoming.
