In the late summer of 2014, a simmering dispute between two men would tragically boil over in a Rome, Georgia apartment complex parking lot, leaving one of them dead and the other facing a lifetime behind bars. The life of Dominique Alexander Spear, a 24-year-old male, was cut short on September 23, 2014, following a fatal encounter with Kyle Devonte Timmons.
The conflict between Spear and Timmons had its roots in an incident a month prior at a local sports bar. A seemingly minor disagreement over a cigarette escalated into a physical altercation where Spear pushed Timmons against a wall, and Timmons retaliated with a punch. Although the immediate scuffle was broken up, ill will lingered. The day after the fight, Spear called a mutual acquaintance, expressing his desire to fight Timmons. Over a speakerphone, Timmons stated he did not want to fight, but Spear declared he would confront him the next time they crossed paths.
That next encounter occurred on that fateful September day at the Callier Forest Apartments. Timmons was visiting a friend who lived in the same complex as Spear. As Timmons was getting out of a car, he and Spear came face to face. The confrontation quickly turned violent. Witnesses described a scuffle between the two men before Timmons raised his arm towards Spear. Two shots from a. 22 caliber pistol rang out. One bullet struck Spear in the chest, while the other entered the back of his neck, tragically ending his life.
Immediately after the shooting, Timmons fled the scene, discarding the weapon as he ran. He soon arrived at a nearby house and asked the resident to call 911, admitting that he had just shot someone. He was arrested shortly thereafter. During his trial, Timmons claimed self-defense, testifying that Spear had attacked him and that he had found the gun on Spear. However, a Floyd County Superior Court jury thought otherwise.
In October 2015, Kyle Timmons was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery. While he was found not guilty of malice murder, the conviction for felony murder carried a significant sentence. Timmons later appealed his convictions, but they were largely upheld in 2017.
